More Idiocy from Amnesty International

Surely many of the lazy drive-by media outlets today will be breathlessly repeating the nonsense from this Amnesty International press release, completely disregarding the agenda-driven scare-mongering which, ironically, claims fear-mongering and divisive politics are creating a more dangerous world.

(London) Powerful governments and armed groups are deliberately fomenting fear to erode human rights and to create an increasingly polarized and dangerous world, said Amnesty International today as it launched Amnesty International Report 2007, its annual assessment of human rights worldwide.

"Through short sighted, fear-mongering and divisive policies, governments are undermining the rule of law and human rights, feeding racism and xenophobia, dividing communities, intensifying inequalities and sowing the seeds for more violence and conflict," said Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

"The politics of fear is fuelling a downward spiral of human rights abuse in which no right is sacrosanct and no person safe."

"The 'war on terror' and the war in Iraq, with their catalogue of human rights abuses, have created deep divisions that cast a shadow on international relations, making it more difficult to resolve conflicts and protect civilians."

What a pile of nonsense. Fear-mongering, divisive politics and xenophobia? Where, pray tell, does this go on most openly? In the Gulf states, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. But are they condemned for any of this?

Of course not!

The absurdities continue.

The divide between Muslims and non-Muslims deepened, fuelled by discriminatory counter-terrorism strategies in western countries. Incidents of Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, intolerance and attacks on religious minorities increased worldwide.

Really? Where is the evidence of worldwide incidents of Islamophobia? If you're going to make such a claim, present some facts, please. They're certainly correct about anti-Semitism, since that's pretty much state-sponsored in many places around the globe.

Of course, this America-hating cabal saves the most condemnation for the United States, the beacon of freedom in the world. Ironic, no?

Five years after 9/11, new evidence came to light in 2006 of the way in which the US administration treated the world as one giant battlefield for its 'war on terror', kidnapping, arresting, arbitrarily detaining, torturing and transferring suspects from one secret prison to another across the world with impunity, in what the US termed 'extraordinary renditions'.

"Nothing more aptly portrayed the globalization of human rights violations than the US-led 'war on terror' and its programme of 'extraordinary renditions' which implicated governments in countries as far apart as Italy and Pakistan, Germany and Kenya," said Ms. Khan.

"Ill-conceived counter-terrorism strategies have done little to reduce the threat of violence or ensure justice for victims of terrorism but much to damage human rights and the rule of law globally."

Don't make me laugh.

Finally, what would best conclude this screed than to bring up--yes--global warming!

"Just as global warming requires global action based on international cooperation, the human rights meltdown can only be tackled through global solidarity and respect for international law."