Washington, June 27: Terming North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Myanmar and pre-war Iraq as "notorious human rights abusers," US President George W Bush said his country was "committed to end torture" worldwide. In a statement on the UN International Day in support of victims of torture yesterday, Bush said, "We are committed to building a world where human rights are respected and protected by the rule of law. "
"The United States declares its strong solidarity with torture victims across the world. Torture anywhere is an affront to human dignity everywhere," he said. "Notorious human rights abusers, including Burma, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and Zimbabwe, have long sought to shield their abuses from the eyes of the world by staging elaborate deceptions and denying access to international human rights monitors, ” he said.
Until recently, Saddam Hussein used similar means to hide the crimes of his regime in Iraq, he said. "With Iraq's liberation, the world is only now learning the enormity of the dictator's three decades of victimization of the Iraqi people," the US President claimed.
"I call on all governments to join with the United States and the community of law-abiding nations in prohibiting, investigating, and prosecuting all acts of torture," he said.
Bush also urged various governments to join America and others in supporting torture victims' treatment centers and contributing to the UN fund for the victims of torture. Bureau Report