By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, United States – Former Vice President Dick Cheney told the Associated Press this week that he has “no regrets” about waterboarding and the other harsh interrogation tactics used during his time in office.  After September 11, 2001, the government, specifically the CIA, used controversial waterboarding policies against “high value detainees” to extract important information.

Waterboarding is a highly criticized and widely debated technique used to obtain information from enemies or detainees.  The process involves pouring water over the mouth and nose of an immobile individual, simulating the feeling of drowning.  Along with profound psychological damage, waterboarding can cause lung damage, brain damage, dry drowning, and in extreme cases, death.

President Bush and his colleagues argued that this was not a form of torture, while many still believe that it is.  The CIA admitted to using waterboarding techniques post-September 11 attacks.  Since then, President Obama has banned the use of such tactics.

In his interview with NBC, former Vice President Cheney says that he stands by the use of waterboarding and would use it again if the situation arose.  “I would strongly support using it again if we had high value detainee and that was the only way we could get him to talk.”

Cheney’s recent schedule has been full of media appearances, promoting his new book, “In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir,” scheduled to hit bookstores Tuesday, August 30.  The book unleashes a fury of inside information from Cheney’s time in the White House with then President, George W. Bush.  Cheney admitted that the memoir will “have heads exploding all over Washington,” as reported in The Los Angeles Times.  The memoir will discuss Cheney’s health, the September 11 attacks, and his thoughts on George W. Bush, among other topics.

In addition to his support for waterboarding, Cheney admits to urging President Bush to bomb a nuclear plant in Syria, as reported by The New York Times.  He was the lone voice proposing the attack, citing the fact that “not a single hand went up around the room” when asked by President Bush who agreed with Vice President Cheney.

Overall, the book defends the Bush administration’s decision to use “tough interrogations” – refusing to classify such techniques as torture, according to The New York Times.  Cheney stands by the use of such techniques suggesting that the CIA extracted information that saved lives.

Cheney’s full interview with NBC Dateline will air Monday, August 29 at 10:00 p.m., Eastern Time, discussing his thoughts on waterboarding and other issues.

For more information, please visit:

The Atlantic — Powell: Cheney’s Book is Full of ‘Cheap Shots’ – 29 Aug. 2011

The Associated Press – Cheney ‘No Regrets’ About Waterboarding Suspects — 25 Aug. 2011

The Los Angeles Times — Dick Cheney Says Memoir Will Have “Heads Exploding” — 25 Aug. 2011

The New York Times — In Book, Cheney Says He Urged Bush to Bomb Syria Nuclear Site — 24 Aug. 2011

By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago has declared a “limited” state of emergency in order to combat the drug-related violence occurring there.  The capital city, Port of Prince – along with other hotspots – is under a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew.  Authorities are enforcing the curfew in an effort to curb a recent increase in murders.  Last weekend alone, there were 11 homicides, bringing the total for the year up to 264; surprisingly this number is lower than at the same point last year.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar attributes the recent murders to a large seizure of cocaine.  Trinidad seized $22 million of cocaine two weeks ago, supposedly setting off the string of murders and violence, reports The New York Times.  Many fear that drug gangs are using Trinidad as a shipping point for South American cocaine heading to places such as Europe and the United States. 

Persad-Bissessar and her national security advisors aim to bring the offenders to “swift justice,” according to CNN International.  The imposition of the curfew is mainly to preserve the safety of the law-abiding citizens and tourists.  As reported by The Guardian, Persad-Bissessar says that the response must “halt the current spike in gang activity and crime in general in the shortest possible time.”

Under a state of emergency, the Emergency Powers Regulations take force, giving the police much broader power.  Many civil rights are temporarily denied, including seizure of weapons, arrests without a warrant, and even warrantless searches of vehicles and homes.  Along with the police, 5,000 military personnel are on hand to aid in the restoration of peace, reported The New York Times. 

Trinidad’s citizens accept the policy because they know that it is for the public good.  Although it is an inconvenience, the state of emergency will limit unnecessary death and injury.  “I feel very safe for the first time in a long while,” Dolarlchan Hanomansingh, a teacher in Trinidad told The New York Times.

So far, the measures have eased the violence and led to the arrest of 58 gang leaders, according to The New York Times.  Trinidad and Tobago’s Newsday reports that Trinidad officials arrested 121 people in a 14-hour span.  However, opposition party leader, Keith Rowley sees the state of emergency as a sign of desperation.

The country’s state of emergency will remain in effect until at least September 6, and may be extended with the approval of Parliament.

For more information, please visit:

About.com — Port of Spain, Trinidad Under Curfew — 25 Aug. 2011

The Guardian — 100 Held in Trinidad and Tobago’s State of Emergency — 25 Aug. 2011

Trinidad and Tobago’s Newsday — Curfew Stops Drug Trafficking Ring — 25 Aug. 2011

The New York Times — Trinidad and Tobago Declares Emergency Over Drug Crimes — 24 Aug. 2011

CNN International — Authorities Impose Curfews on Trinidad and Tobago — 22 Aug. 2011

By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, United States – A community in Mississippi is mourning the loss of James Craig Anderson, the victim of a racially fueled murder.  Human rights groups are heading to the community to speak out against such a horrible crime.  Sadly, not many are shocked by the racist attitudes still present in modern day Mississippi

James Craig Anderson was killed in a hit and run in June.  The attackers – a truck full of white teenagers – were caught on surveillance video.  Mississippi has now formally charged the ringleader, 19-year-old Deryl Dedmon, with capital murder. 

Hinds County District Attorney, Robert Smith called it a hate crime, alleging that Dedmon set out to harm a black person, according to WLBT news, an NBC affiliate.  Smith is quoted as saying, “Dedmon murdered this man because he was black,” according to Peoplesworld.org.  National civil rights groups agree that Dedmon and his friends were intentionally seeking a black person to harm, as reported by The New York Times.

After drinking at a party, Dedmon rounded up some friends to go “f**k with some n****s,” according to Peoplesworld.org.  The group found Anderson in a parking lot, immediately assaulted, and robbed him while yelling, “White power!” and other racial slurs.  Eventually, Dedmon got back into a green truck, and ran Anderson over before fleeing the scene.  Peoplesworld.org further reports that Dedmon called some friends to brag about running Anderson over.

The New Order National Human Rights Organization based out of Georgia travelled to Mississippi on August 20 to speak out against the brutal murder, as reported by The Clarion Ledger.  Gerald Rose, founder and CEO of the group, said their message was to “put Mississippi on alert” about racial injustice and hatred.

Dr. Timothy Summers, a psychiatrist in Jackson, Mississippi told The New York Times, “Racism has always been part of the lifestyle in Mississippi in one form or another.”  Rev. Brian Richardson of Castlewood Baptist Church was close with Anderson.  He and his family told The New York Times that while racism is not unique to the Deep South, a deep streak of “us and them” exists.

Dedmon and his family have refused comment, but Dedmon’s high school classmates stand by him, suggesting that what he did was an accident and that they are no racists.  Dedmon, in a letter to his younger sister told her to “choose her friends wisely . . . My so-called friends got me in here,” according to The New York Times

Although many feel that racism is not present anymore, it is clear that it is still an issue in the United States.  Francis Sutton of Jackson told The Clarion Ledger, “If anybody’s freedom is at stake, everybody’s freedom is at stake.”

For more information, please visit:

The New York Times — Weighing Race and Hate in a Mississippi Killing – 22 Aug. 2011

The Clarion Ledger —  Atlanta Group Decries Alleged Hate-Crime Slaying  — 21 Aug. 2011

WLBT News — Human Rights Group Plans to  Speak Out About James C. Anderson’s Murder — 21 Aug. 2011

Peoplesworld.org — Mississippi is Still Burning, Vicious Murder Shows — 10 Aug. 2011

By Brianne Yantz
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – For more than nine years, two indigenous women who were raped by soldiers in the southern state of Guerrero have been fighting for justice. Since Inés Fernández Ortega and Valentina Rosendo Cantú were raped in 2002, both women have been relentless in their pursuit, going so far as to challenge the Mexican authorities and its military.

Ortega and Cantú, both Me’phaa Indians, were raped in separate incidents, but together sought to punish those responsible.

Earlier this month, the decision was made to prosecute the soldiers charged with the rape of both Ortega and Cantú in civilian court, an act hailed by Amnesty International as a “significant step for those seeking justice for human rights violations committed by the military in Mexico.”

According to Fox News, in August of 2010, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ruled that the cases by tried in a civilian court. In a press conference last month, Cantú expressed her desire to see the IACHR’s decision upheld.

Finally, on August 12, a year after the IACHR decision was handed down, the Mexico’s Military Prosecutor’s Office declared that the cases would be tried in civilian court as it lacked jurisdiction in cases involving accusations of human rights violations.

This ruling comes after months of increasing pressure on the Mexican government to investigate the growing reports of abuse by Mexican soldiers. The decision is not only a win for Ortega and Cantú, but for Mexico as a whole. Symbolically, it demonstrates greater civilian control over the armed forces.

According to Amnesty International, Vidulfo Rosales, a human rights lawyer at Tlachinollan Mountain Human Rights Center in Guerrero, stated, “for us, this is a significant advance, as civil society has constantly fought for these cases to be transferred into the civilian justice system.” However, Rosales expressed concerns, particularly that the decision was limited in its reach. “We’re worried that there’s a margin for impunity, for those responsible to be exonerated.”

Others concerned with the future of human rights in Mexico shared similar worries. The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights expressed its opinion that “the decision by the Mexican government to transfer the two cases to civilian federal jurisdiction is a positive development, but bringing the perpetrators to justice and ensuring that future cases follow this precedent is crucial.”

While the decision to transfer the cases to civilian court have been commended by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations, there is still a long road ahead to ensure justice is served for Ortega, Cantú, and the countless number of other victims of military-related human rights abuses across Mexico.

For more information, please see:

Amnesty International – Indigenous Women Win First Step in Fight Over Military Rape Case in Mexico, Says Amnesty International – August 17, 2011

Latin American Herald Tribune – Mexican Army Hands Over Rights Cases to Civilian Prosecutors – August 17, 2011

RFK Center – MEXICO: NINE YEARS LATER, CASES OF INDIGENOUS WOMEN RAPED AND TORTURED BY SOLDIERS ARE TRANSFERRED OUT OF MILITARY JURISDICTION – August 17, 2011

Fox News – Mexican women raped by soldiers demand justice – July 29, 2011