U.S. Again Uses Enemy Combatant Label to Deny Basic Rights

(New York, June 23, 2003) The Bush Administration's designation of Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, a Qatari national living in the United States, as an "enemy combatant" threatens basic rights safeguards. Human Rights Watch said today. The Justice Department announced today that it was dropping criminal charges against al-Marri and that he would instead be held without charge by the U.S. military. "The Bush Administration has once again done an end run around the criminal justice system," said Wendy Patten, U.S. advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "It is invoking the laws of war in the United States to justify locking people up without charge and without access to a lawyer. This kind of military detention has no place in a country committed to the rule of law." Al-Marri is the third person held in the United States under military authority as an "enemy combatant." Human Rights Watch maintains that there should be a strong presumption that anyone arrested in the United States, far from any battlefield, be granted the full legal protections of the criminal justice system including the right to counsel and not to be held without charge.

Human Rights Watch disputes the government's contention that international humanitarian law, commonly referred to as the laws of war, permits the president to unilaterally designate al-Marri an "enemy combatant." The United States cannot declare a criminal suspect, including a suspected member of al-Qaeda, an enemy combatant, except where there has been direct participation in an international armed conflict. International humanitarian law is inapplicable outside areas of armed conflict and where there is no direct connection to an armed conflict. Instead, the protections of international human rights law apply. In the case of a person detained in the United States, the protections of U.S. constitutional law apply as well. These protections include the rights to be formally charged and permitted access to counsel. “Rather than afford al-Marri basic due process and other constitutional guarantees, the Bush administration has circumvented these rights by unilaterally designating him an enemy combatant," said Patten. "The government is claiming a virtually unlimited power to deprive people of their liberty and hold them incommunicado based only on the president's say-so."

According to news reports, al-Marri, who lived in Peoria, Illinois, has been in U.S. custody since December 2001. He was first held as a material witness and then later charged with lying to the FBI and credit card fraud.

 

8. Answer the questions:

1. What do you know about Human Rights Watch organization?

2. Why does Human Rights Watch protest against measures taken towards Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri?

3. What does Human Rights Watch maintain?

4. What do you know about al-Qaeda?

5. What do the protections of U.S. constitutional law include?

 

9. Rewrite the sentences, replacing the words in brackets with collocations:

fierce fighting broke out bring about peace taken prisoner

minor incidents declared war keep the peace a lasting peace

negotiate a peace agreement a decisive battle restore order

peacekeeping forces within firing range peace activists

a cease fire is called withdraw/retreat all-out war

signed a peace treaty/ peace agreement

 

1 The war between Adverbia and Collocania (started) in 1983 after a dispute over territory in the northern province. At first there were just (small events) but it soon turned into (a full-scale war). The war ended after (a battle which finally decided the course of events) in 1987.

2 There was (very violent fighting) in the capital city yesterday. United Nations (forces who will maintain peace) are expected to enter the city as soon as (the armies say they will stop firing at each other).

3 Forces sent in to (make the peace continue) in the troubled region of Phrasalia had to (turn back) after they came (within the firing distance) of rebel artillery.

4 The Sornak Republic today (officially stated that it was at war) against Hobrania.

5 Armed troops were sent in to (bring order again) after the riots and violence of last week.

6 Even though the two sides (put their names to a document officially stating that the war was at an end) last July, fighting has started again and hopes for (a peace which might continue for a long time) are fading.

7 As more of our soldiers were killed or (captured and put in prison), (people who were actively promoting peace) organised demonstrations against the unpopular war.

8 Representatives of the two sides are meeting in Zurich in an attempt to (make peace) in the troubled region. It is hoped that they will (have negotiations and agree the details for peace) which both governments can accept.

 

10. Fill in the gaps in the text:

devised clear authorities mediators

setting up settlements resolving conflict

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to remove Jewish 1….. from the Gaza Strip will prove ineffective if it does not follow the international Road Map peace plan for the Middle East 2….., Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after a meeting with Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaat in Moscow on Friday. Shaat said that the Palestinian 3….. wholeheartedly support the principles of the Road Map. He said that he will leave Moscow reassured. He added that he expects the Road Map to be realized in the interests of 4….. the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation and of 5….. an independent Palestinian state. The Road Map was 6….. by a quartet of international 7….., Russia, the United States, the United Nations and the European Union. Asked whether Russia and the United States have significant differences over how to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Lavrov said, ”I would not say that they have. We will 8….. all of this up at a meeting of the quartet.”

 

11. Render the text in English:

Федеральный судья Лос-Анджелеса Одри Колинз признал неконституционными некоторые положения американского антитеррористического закона, известного как USA Patriot Act. Неконституционной признана часть документа, запрещающая оказывать материальную и иную помощь иностранным организациям, которые признаны террористическими. По мнению судьи, данное положение противоречит первой поправке Конституции США и является незаконным.

USA Patriot Act был подписан 26 октября 2001 года президентом США Джорджем Бушем. Данный антитеррористической закон был принят в ответ на теракт 11 сентября 2001 года и дает правительству и полиции Соединенных Штатов широкие полномочия по надзору за гражданами страны. Признание части Patriot Act не соответствующей основному американскому закону страны происходит впервые. Эксперты отмечают, что в связи с набирающей обороты в США предвыборной кампанией, возможно, данный прецедент будет иметь некоторый общественный резонанс. Но до серьезного конфликта в законодательном хозяйстве этой страны дело, скорее всего, не дойдет, подчеркивают специалисты.

12. Scan the text and discuss the situation and measures that could be taken to improve it: