American Bar Association condemns detainee treatment

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The nation's largest lawyers group condemned the government's handling of foreign detainees yesterday over the objections of members who called it a cheap shot at the White House. The American Bar Association (ABA) criticized what it called "a widespread pattern of abusive detention methods." Those abuses, it said, "feed terrorism by painting the United States as an arrogant nation above the law."

The ABA was responding to abuse of Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad and concerns about the treatment of about 600 terrorism suspects being held at Guantánamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. Some lawyers complained that the nonpartisan group, with more than 400,000 members, was getting too political, especially as the presidential election nears.

David Rivkin Jr., a Washington attorney who served in the Reagan and first Bush administrations, told ABA leaders the resolution was poorly worded and "could be dismissed as grandstanding." The Bush administration has aggressively defended its imprisonment, without traditional rights, of those it classifies as enemy combatants. Government officials have said that abuses at overseas prisons have been isolated and that those responsible are being punished.

An administration lawyer was sent to Atlanta but did not speak against the resolution, which had overwhelming support. During the debate, Washington attorney Mark Agrast said, "If we want the world to embrace American ideals, we first must live up to those ideals ourselves."

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/nation/9359595.htm?1c

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