U.S. Violation of International Law, Human Rights Necessitates Citizen Action

Interview with Jeremy Brecher, co-editor of the book "In the Name of Democracy: American War Crimes in Iraq and Beyond," conducted by Scott Harris

In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Bush administration justified a whole range of foreign and domestic policies that either skirted or directly violated U.S. constitutional law or international treaties, such as the Geneva conventions. From President Bush's defiance of the United Nations in launching his war against Iraq, to official policies that led to the torture and mistreatment of detainees, America's image as a defender of human rights has been severely tarnished.

Photos of Iraqi detainees being tortured at Abu Ghraib prison alongside accounts of mistreatment at U.S.-run detention centers in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba have provoked lawsuits and investigations. Washington's covert rendition of prisoners to third nations for the purpose of torture and recent press reports alleging U.S. secret prisons in Eastern Europe have inflamed hatred and fear of the U.S. government. A recent Italian television documentary charging that the U.S. military used napalm and white phosphorous weapons in the 2004 siege of Falluja are just the latest set of disturbing accusations undermining America's standing in the world community.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Jeremy Brecher, co-editor of the book, "In the Name of Democracy: American War Crimes in Iraq and Beyond." Brecher, a historian, discusses investigations into U.S. war crimes and the responsibility of ordinary citizens to challenge their government's violation of international law.

"In the Name of Democracy: American War Crimes in Iraq and Beyond" is published by Metropolitan Books.

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