Activists, lawyers, students, teachers, union members, government officials, and judges will welcome this thoroughly researched, comprehensive examination of human rights violations in the wake of 9/11. Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute Executive Director Ann Fagan Ginger has created an accessible, well-organized reference work divided into six parts:
Part I, "The Mobilization of Shame," describes executive orders and new laws violating basic rights, and citizen reactions, to add up the real score in the War on Terrorism.
Part II, "Where the People and their Lawyers Can Go to Redress Grievances," spells out the complaint process through the little known Office of Inspector General, and in U.S. federal and state courts.
Part III, "What the Government Is Committed and Required To Do in the United Nations and the Organization of American States," describes the reporting process and how it has brought about improvements in many countries, such as new treatments for AIDS.
Part IV, "Report on Human Rights Violations," forms the bulk of the book. It describes all the relevant facts in 184 reports on 30 types of violations. Activists will find all the facts they need and lawyers can reference the specific laws being violated by government officials, military personnel, agents, and contractors.
Part V, "Text of Petitions, Resolutions, Ordinances," spells out what has been proposed, and adopted, since 9/11 to stop violations.
Part VI, "Text of Laws Violated and Ignored," provides the language of the U.S. Constitution, Bill Of Rights, Articles in the UN Charter, the Convention Against Torture, the Geneva Conventions, and other human rights and international law treaties the U.S. has ratified or signed.
This is an indispensable tool for citizens and lawyers defending civil liberties in the era of the Patriot Act and the War on Terrorism.
