BTL:Effort Underway in Germany to Prosecute High-Ranking U.S. Officials for...

...Their Role in Torture, War Crimes ~ Interview with Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, conducted by Between the Lines' Scott Harris

Effort Underway in Germany to Prosecute High-Ranking U.S. Officials for Their Role in Torture, War Crimes

Interview with Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, conducted by Scott Harris

As more evidence, including photos, emerge documenting the abuse of prisoners in the custody of the U.S. military around the world, news reports revealed a devastating memorandum issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The Red Cross memo, leaked to the New York Times in late November, accused the U.S. military of using tactics "tantamount to torture" on prisoners held at the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The charges were made by an ICRC inspection team that had spent most of June at the American base in Cuba. More than 500 prisoners, many captured during the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, have been held at Guantanamo indefinitely without charge or access to attorneys.

Meanwhile the New York based Center for Constitutional Rights, on behalf of 4 Iraqi citizens who were victims of abuse, has asked the government of Germany to undertake a criminal investigation of high ranking U.S. officials, including Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who may be culpable for torture and war crimes committed at the American-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The action was taken under the doctrine of universal jurisdiction where suspected war criminals may be prosecuted irrespective of where they reside.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights and a principal attorney for prisoners being held at the Guantanamo U.S. Naval Base. Ratner addresses the pattern of abuse that persists at Petnagon run- prisons and explains why his group felt it was necessary to go to Germany as a "court of last resort," to investigate the responsibility of Washington's political and military leadership for acts of torture and other serious war crimes carried out by lower level personnel.

Contact the Center for Constitutional Rights by calling (212) 614-6464. Letters can be sent to Germany in support of the litigation by visiting the Center's website at www.ccr-ny.org Michael Ratner, is co-author with Ellen Ray of the book: "Guantanamo: What The World Should Know."

LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below:

http://www.btlonline.org
*
"Between The Lines" is a half-hour syndicated radio news magazine that each week features a summary of under-reported news stories and interviews with activists and journalists who offer progressive perspectives on international, national and regional political, economic and social issues. Because "Between The Lines" is independent of all publications, media networks or political parties, we are able to bring a diversity of voices to the airwaves generally ignored or marginalized by the major media. For more information on this week's topics and to check out our text archive listing topics and guests presented in previous programs visit: http://www.btlonline.org
*
"Between the Lines," WPKN 89.5 FM's weekly radio news magazine can be heard Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET; Wednesdays at 8 a.m. ET and Saturdays at 2 p.m. ET (Wednesday's show airs at 7:30 a.m. ET during fundraising months of April and October).
*
For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Weekly Summary" which features a RealAudio link to the week's program for Between The Lines, send an email to btlsummary-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
*
For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Q&A" which features a RealAudio link and weekly transcript to one of the interviews featured on Between The Lines, send an email to btlqa-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
*
betweenthelines@snet.net
*
http://www.squeakywheel.net/
*
Distributed by Squeaky Wheel Productions, Inc.
(c)2004 Squeaky Wheel Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.