The Politics of Prisoner Abuse: The United States and Enemy Prisoners after 9/11

by David P. Forsythe

Overview

When states are threatened by war and terrorism, can we really expect them to abide by human rights and humanitarian law? David P. Forsythe's bold analysis of US policies towards terror suspects after 9/11 addresses this issue directly. Covering moral, political, and legal aspects, he examines the abuse of enemy detainees at the hands of the United States. At the center of the debate is the Bush Administration, which Forsythe argues displayed disdain for international law, in contrast to the general public's support for humanitarian affairs. Forsythe explores the similarities and differences between Presidents Obama and Bush on the question of prisoner treatment in an age of terrorism and asks how the Administration should proceed. The book traces the Pentagon's and CIA's records in mistreating prisoners, providing an account which will be of interest to all those who value human rights and humanitarian law.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781139088817
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	05/26/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	527 KB

About the Author

David Forsythe is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He has been a visiting professor at universities in Geneva and Utrecht and in 2008 he held the Fulbright Distinguished Research Chair of Human Rights and International Studies at the Danish Institute of International Studies, Copenhagen. He has also been on staff for the United Nations University in Tokyo and has been a consultant to both the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Refugees and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Table of Contents

1. Prisoner abuse and political morality in historical perspective; 2. Political morality and the Bush Administration; 3. Bush lawyers: the politics of legal interpretation; 4. The military: Afghanistan, Guantánamo, Iraq; 5. The CIA: kidnapping, Black Sites, extraordinary rendition; 6. Due process: detention classification, Military Commissions; 7. Prisoner abuse and the politics of transnational justice.

Editorial Reviews

This important book details the massive abuse of human rights of US prisoners since 9/11. It is up to date as of July 2010, thus covering the problematic actions of the Obama Administration as well as that of George W. Bush. In a form accessible to scholars, students, and the general public, Dr Forsythe’s careful research and analysis underscore how fragile human rights become when national security seems to be at stake.”
– Rhoda E. Howard-Hassmann, Canada Research Chair in International Human Rights, Wilfrid Laurier University

“Forsythe’s encyclopedic chronicle of America’s descent to the dark side capably tackles the tough question: What are the wages of American exceptionalism?”
– Gabor Rona, International Legal Director, Human Rights First, New York

From the Publisher