From: Aref Assaf, President
American Arab Forum
42 East Main Street
Paterson, NJ 07834


Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
U.S. Department of State
 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Rice:

As someone who is  deeply concerned about human rights and civil liberties, I urge you to give prompt personal attention to the 54-page report "Situation of Detainees at Guantanamo Bay" that was issued on February 15 by a five independent experts commissioned by the UN, Commission on Human Rights of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

We emphatically support the recommendation that, "the United States Government should either expeditiously bring all Guantanamo Bay detainees to trial, in compliance with articles 9(3) and 14 of ICCPR, or release them without further delay".

We also support the recommendation that, "the United States Government should close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility without further delay."

And, as the report continues, "Until the closure, and possible transfer of detainees to pre-trial detention facilities on United States territory, the Government should refrain from any practice amounting to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, discrimination on the basis of religion, and violations of the rights to health and freedom of religion."

We are deeply disturbed that a group with great international stature has concluded after careful study that, "The interrogation techniques authorized by the Department of Defense, particularly if used simultaneously, amount to degrading treatment in violation of article 7 of ICCPR and article 16 of the Convention Against Torture" and that "force feeding of detainees on hunger strike must be assessed a mounting to torture as defined in article 1 of the Convention Against Torture."

The response by Ambassador Edward Moley that seeks to discredit their findings on the basis that the Special Rapporteurs rejected the invitation to personally observe conditions at Guantanamo ignores well established international practice that an investigation cannot be conducted without private access to detainees.

We further urge to allow  a small interfaith delegation to Guantanamo to monitor the physical, mental and spiritual condition of the detainees.  We do this, not only for the benefit of the detainees but for the benefit of the reputation of our country in an increasingly skeptical world. Unless our government quickly allows independent credible access to the detainees, the charges made in the UN report will only take on greater weight.


Sincerely,


Aref Assaf, President

American Arab Forum

Update: US release names of detainees.