By Arsalan Iftikhar
Date Posted: April 2008
From the lawless enclave of Guantanamo Bay to the denial of habeas corpus, America is at a legal crossroads today in terms of defining the concept of ‘human rights’ for our coming generations.
With the dreadful 9/11 terrorist attacks on America and the Bush Administration’s subsequent cowboy ride all over constitutional and international law; no matter who becomes president in January 2009, the next Administration will have an unparalleled opportunity to shape U.S. human rights policy in directions which can have “positive ramifications for human rights around the globe…”
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was the keynote speaker for the April 2008 Samuel Dash Conference on Human Rights- a joint effort by the Center for American Progress and Georgetown University Law Center. In addition to Secretary Albright, the conference featured two former American ambassadors, a tribute to the late Congressman Tom Lantos and another keynote address by Dr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court at The Hague.
In her keynote address entitled Restoring America’s Credibility: Human Rights Policy for a new Administration, former Secretary Madeleine Albright highlighted many key human rights issues facing our world today; including the recent call of an Olympic opening ceremony boycott in Beijing, due process issues revolving around detainees in Guantanamo Bay and questions as to why the United States has not yet ratified the International Criminal Court (ICC) Treaty.
As she began her keynote address, Secretary Albright focused on the status of human rights in the broader context of increased globalization economic models.
“In China’s case, the model has been called ‘Market Leninism’…” said former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. “…And it creates a stiff political challenge to the West.”
“To compete, we must prove that freedom leads not only to the voting booth, but also to food on the table and a better life,” continued Dr. Albright on her China analysis.
“The power of the market must be connected to social justice…But the promise of economic security cannot be used to deny individual freedom”
On Guantanamo Bay, Secretary Albright said that, “…In the time since [9/11], the spectacle of Guantanamo has not prevented terror, it has served as a powerful recruiting tool…”
“The time has long since passed to close that prison and throw away the key…”
In her concluding remarks on the ICC Treaty, Secretary Albright said that, “It was also a mistake for the United States, under this Administration, to withdraw its signature from the International Criminal Court…”
“No country has a greater stake than America, in a global system, that protects rights and enforces responsibilities…After all, we created the Nuremburg Trials…” continued Dr. Albright.
She concluded her prepared remarks by saying that, “We were the driving force behind the International Court of Justice (ICJ)…During Vietnam, we repeatedly invoked the Geneva Conventions on behalf of our prisoners of war…”
Many human rights advocates worldwide have been quite skeptical about Dr. Albright’s commitment to human rights based on a now famous 60 Minutes interview she gave to Lesley Stahl in 1996 on the impact of the Iraqi sanctions on the country’s million of children.
In that famous interview, when asked by Lesley Stahl with regards to effect of sanctions against Iraq: “We have heard that half a million children have died. I mean, that’s more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?”
Secretary Albright replied to Stahl: “I think this is a very hard choice, but the price — we think the price is worth it…”
During the microphone Q&A session after Secretary Albright’s keynote speech, after identifying myself to Secretary Albright as a magazine columnist and human rights lawyer, I personally asked Dr. Albright in front of the entire audience at Georgetown University Law Center whether she “still stands by those statements” made in the now-famous 60 Minutes interview with Lesley Stahl.
In response to my question, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said, “Thank you….Well, I’ll begin by answering the question about the Iraqi children. I’ve answered this question many times and it’s always interesting that what I say doesn’t seem to penetrate on this…
“I was interviewed [by 60 Minutes] and I said something genuinely stupid. I have said it was stupid…”
“Obviously, I regret any loss of life…” continued former Secretary Madeleine Albright. “I have said this so many times…I know that if you Google me…that I’m there as a war criminal…” she joked.
“I can explain…It was a stupid statement…And I regret having made it and I’ve said it so many times that I would appreciate if you would actually put that in somewhere…” she smiled as she finished her answer.
Since time immemorial, civilization has always internally debated the true definition of ‘human rights’. ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo recently reminded all of us about our collective responsibility.
He closed his keynote address by telling an anecdote about Kofi Annan’s opening remarks during the 1998 conference in Rome with 160 countries seeking to ratify the International Criminal Court treaty.
Some of the opening remarks of former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan from that historic 1998 conference in Rome sum up the future of human rights quite accurately:
“We have, before us, an opportunity to take a monumental step in the name of human rights and the rule of law…We have an opportunity…”
Arsalan Iftikhar is an international human rights lawyer, founder of TheMuslimGuy.com and contributing editor for Islamica magazine in Washington.
