Torture Allegation
Amnesty for arrest of Bush
Amnesty International called on Canadian authorities Wednesday to arrest and prosecute George W Bush, saying the former US president authorised “torture” when he directed the US-led war on terror.
Bush is expected to attend an economic summit in Surrey in Canada’s westernmost British Columbia province on October 20.
In a memorandum submitted last month to Canada’s attorney general but only now released to the media, the London-based group charged that Bush has legal responsibility for a series of human rights violations.
“Canada is required by its international obligations to arrest and prosecute former president Bush given his responsibility for crimes under international law including torture,” Amnesty’s Susan Lee said in a statement.
“And no one, including the man who served as president of the world’s most powerful nation for eight years can be allowed to stand above that law,”
The statement added.
“As the US authorities have, so far, failed to bring Bush to justice, the international community must step in. A failure by Canada to take action during his visit would violate the UN Convention Against Torture and demonstrate contempt for fundamental human rights,” Lee said.
But Immigration Minister Jason Kenney blasted Amnesty for “cherry picking cases to publicise, based on ideology.”
Bush cancelled a visit to Switzerland in February, after facing similar public calls for his arrest.
Amnesty cites several instances of alleged torture of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, naval facility, in Afghanistan and in Iraq, by the US military.
The cases include that of Zayn al Abidin Muhammed Husayn (known as Abu Zubaydah) and 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, both arrested in Pakistan. The two men were waterboarded 266 times between them from 2002 to 2003, according to the CIA inspector general, cited by Amnesty.
-With amnesty.org input
