Republicans Anonymous

When dog bites man, or Bush League suppresses inconvenient news, it doesn't get much press in the US. The BBC reports:

The former United Nations human rights envoy to Afghanistan, Cherif Bassiouni, has said he lost his job because of pressure from the United States.

Prof Bassiouni alleged there was an intensive lobbying campaign by US officials in Geneva.

"It has nothing to do with the work in Afghanistan or the situation in Afghanistan," he said.

"This is a very narrow, limited issue that is of concern to the US Defence Department and the hawks in the administration who simply do not want anybody to look into the way people are being detained in Afghanistan by US forces."
(Source: BBC News Ex-Afghan rights chief attacks US April 27, 2005)

The New York Times mentioned it, too:

U.N. Monitor of Afghan Rights Accuses U.S. on Detentions
By CARLOTTA GALL

Published: April 23, 2005

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 22 - A United Nations human rights monitor has accused American military forces and contractors in Afghanistan of acting above the law "by engaging in arbitrary arrests and detentions and committing abusive practices, including torture." In a report released Thursday, the Afghan police and security forces were also criticized for similar actions.

Ongoing torture by US forces, massive human rights abuses, officials obstructing investigations - why do we waste time with such trivia when we could be watching 24/7 Michael Jackson trial coverage - or listening to W explain how we can cut our dependence on foreign oil by building more refineries to process foreign oil into SUV fuel.