Letter the Editor of the Chicago Tribune

May 2005

The Tribune recently reported that Cherif Bassiouni, the DePaul University law professor who lost his post as UN human-rights investigator in Afghanistan believed that the U.S. pushed him out to hide abuses in American run prisons in that country and the possible transfer there of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Whatever the reason for his removal from his post, the U.S. and the UN must take seriously the findings of his report to the UN. He found instances of arbitrary arrests and abusive treatment of detainees held by Coalition forces. The Coalition forces should follow his recommendation and allow appropriate UN officials to inspect detention facilities in Afghanistan. Before sending any detainees to Afghanistan, the U.S. should comply with the Supreme Court decision holding that the writ of habeas corpus is available to the Guantanamo detainees, and with the Convention Against Torture, which prohibits the U.S. from sending any person "to a country in which there are substantial grounds for believing the person would be in danger of being subjected to torture."

Bassiouni also found violations of human rights by war-lords, especially those involved in the heroin trade, and instances of forced marriages of women. The new government of Afghanistan, with American assistance, should stop those abuses.