Jennifer Harbury speaks on the US role in human rights
Morgan McCord
Issue date: 2/26/04 Section: News
Jennifer Harbury, lawyer and human rights activist, came to the College to discuss the controversial issue of human rights.
Harbury is in a better position than most to comment on human rights as she is intimately familiar with the processes by which our hidden and elusive gurus, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) garner much of their vital intelligence.
Harbury began her discussion addressing the United States' reversal in human rights policy following the Sept. 11 attacks. Prior to the day two and a half years ago, the United States was declassifying documents, holding U.N. conventions and generally appeared to be making headway concerning human rights matters in countries around the world.
After the attacks on New York City and Washington D.C., this headway was all but erased. In fact, Harbury explained that the fight against terrorism and Operation Iraqi Freedom have seen some of the most egregious human rights violations since World War II. According to Harbury, during both of these recent confrontations, the U.S. government has permitted and in many cases, ordered these human rights violations under the justification of intelligence gathering. Harbury went on to describe these actions as a "knowing partnership between the United States and unsavory militants." These violations include acts of torture such as sleep deprivation, beatings and even outright murder in extreme cases. "When we [U.S.] capture people affiliated with Al Quaeda, we ship them to other countries to have them beaten," Harbury said.
She went on to explain that these actions and their perpetrators' lack of punishment partially explains the animosity many people feel towards Americans around the world. It also sets a poor precedent that may result in our own citizens being tortured at the hands of their captors.
Harbury also discussed how she became personally involved in the intelligence gathering methods of the CIA.
Harbury explained that her life was drastically altered when her husband, a high-ranking Guatemalan insurgent, was captured, tortured and later killed by the Guatemalan military. Harbury stated that her husband was murdered under the guise of U.S. intelligence.
As Harbury explained, the simple fact of the matter is that the Guatemalan military was paid by the CIA to elicit information from insurgents like her husband using any means required.
Her ordeal was worsened by the lack of aid the U.S. government was willing to provide. She was initially told that he committed suicide; however, she later discovered that her husband was alive.
She turned to the United States government for support, only to run into a brick wall when the government refused to elaborate on her husband's whereabouts.
Her persistence eventually paid off, but unfortunately it was too late. The Guatemalans had already killed her husband.
Through Harbury's explanation of her husband's death she highlighted the thesis of her discussion about human rights violations.
Harbury is in a better position than most to comment on human rights as she is intimately familiar with the processes by which our hidden and elusive gurus, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) garner much of their vital intelligence.
Harbury began her discussion addressing the United States' reversal in human rights policy following the Sept. 11 attacks. Prior to the day two and a half years ago, the United States was declassifying documents, holding U.N. conventions and generally appeared to be making headway concerning human rights matters in countries around the world.
After the attacks on New York City and Washington D.C., this headway was all but erased. In fact, Harbury explained that the fight against terrorism and Operation Iraqi Freedom have seen some of the most egregious human rights violations since World War II. According to Harbury, during both of these recent confrontations, the U.S. government has permitted and in many cases, ordered these human rights violations under the justification of intelligence gathering. Harbury went on to describe these actions as a "knowing partnership between the United States and unsavory militants." These violations include acts of torture such as sleep deprivation, beatings and even outright murder in extreme cases. "When we [U.S.] capture people affiliated with Al Quaeda, we ship them to other countries to have them beaten," Harbury said.
She went on to explain that these actions and their perpetrators' lack of punishment partially explains the animosity many people feel towards Americans around the world. It also sets a poor precedent that may result in our own citizens being tortured at the hands of their captors.
Harbury also discussed how she became personally involved in the intelligence gathering methods of the CIA.
Harbury explained that her life was drastically altered when her husband, a high-ranking Guatemalan insurgent, was captured, tortured and later killed by the Guatemalan military. Harbury stated that her husband was murdered under the guise of U.S. intelligence.
As Harbury explained, the simple fact of the matter is that the Guatemalan military was paid by the CIA to elicit information from insurgents like her husband using any means required.
Her ordeal was worsened by the lack of aid the U.S. government was willing to provide. She was initially told that he committed suicide; however, she later discovered that her husband was alive.
She turned to the United States government for support, only to run into a brick wall when the government refused to elaborate on her husband's whereabouts.
Her persistence eventually paid off, but unfortunately it was too late. The Guatemalans had already killed her husband.
Through Harbury's explanation of her husband's death she highlighted the thesis of her discussion about human rights violations.