US criticises court that may decide on Julian Assange extradition, WikiLeaks cables show

[Joanne98]

US officials regard European human rights standards as an "irritant", secret cables show, and have strongly objected to the safeguards which could protect WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from extradition.

In a confidential cable from the US embassy in Strasbourg, US consul general Vincent Carver criticised the Council of Europe, the most authoritative human-rights body for European countries, for its stance against extraditions to America, as well as secret renditions and prisons used to hold terrorist suspects.

He blamed the council for creating anti-US sentiment and hampering the US war on terror. "The Council of Europe (COE) likes to portray itself as a bastion of democracy, a promoter of human rights, and the last best hope for defending the rule of law in Europe – and beyond," Carver said. " it is an organisation with an inferiority complex and, simultaneously, an overambitious agenda.

"An investigation into renditions and 'secret prisons' in Europe connected to the US war on terrorism … created a great deal of controversy and anti-US sentiment in the Council of Europe," wrote Carver.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/17/wikileaks-european-human-rights-standards

[DoBotherMe]

1. HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAA!

She laughs wildly like Tom Hanks in Money Pit. These guys are mental. Dana ; )

Quote: "He blamed the council for creating anti-US sentiment and hampering the US war on terror."

[DoBotherMe]

2. Kick

Rec doesn't work from the Blackberry. But I can kick this revelation all day! Dana ; )

[The Second Stone]

3. The US doesn't understand equal application of the law

and precedent. Europe takes these things seriously. The US abandoned the case law system as a protection of civil rights when it insisted that prosecutors and corporate lawyers be promoted to judges to the exclusion of other people. In the US the common law system is used to justify a different outcome in every case because every case is different. It used to mean that we would in good faith follow the precedent. Now it is a justification for screwing everyone who cannot afford a series of appeals. So corporations love it.

[DoBotherMe]

4. kick

[Arctic Dave]

5. K&R

We are the enemy.

[WellsStreetHell]

6. This is the new America

The U.S. sounds more and more like the Soviet Union, with official complaints of "anti-U.S.", and "threats to our national security", etc. The future looks increasingly scary for our country, folks.