Robinson accuses governments of exploiting the war on terrorism

THE UN: Outgoing UN Human Rights Commissioner, Mrs Mary Robinson, has accused governments of hiding behind the war on terrorism…

THE UN: Outgoing UN Human Rights Commissioner, Mrs Mary Robinson, has accused governments of hiding behind the war on terrorism to trample on civil liberties and crush troublesome opponents.

"Suddenly the T-word is used all the time," Mrs Robinson said, referring to terrorism. "And that's the problem.

"So many politicians are using the T-word and it's very blunt and does erode standards of civil rights and civil liberties. Everything is justified by that T-word," Mrs Robinson said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"I hope that countries will put human rights back on the agenda because it tended to slip after September 11th." Mrs Robinson said the Bush administration had set the tone for the rest of the world by disregarding international conventions in its treatment of prisoners held at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - not to mention its efforts to torpedo the International Criminal Court.

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"The world needs leadership in human rights and the United States could give great leadership. It's not giving it at the moment, unfortunately," she said.

Meanwhile, in an interview published yesterday the EU's foreign policy chief, Mr Javier Solana, said Europe would like the stand-off with Iraq resolved within the framework of the UN. "We, Europeans, believe that it is the path of the United Nations that must be taken," the EU high representative said. "Iraq is in breach of nine Security Council resolutions and 24 recommendations . . . we cannot overlook that - or the danger that weapons of mass destruction could fall into the hands of terrorists."

France and Germany are both opposed to any unilateral US attack on Iraq, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and French President Jacques Chirac said on Saturday after a summit meeting in Hanover. However, the two leaders agreed to differ regarding a possible UN-mandated attack on Baghdad. - (AP, AFP)