Red Cross' Guantanamo reports sought in 9/11 case

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Associated Press

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross urged a military judge Tuesday to refuse a request to open its confidential communications with U.S. officials about conditions at Guantanamo Bay to the lawyers for the prisoners charged in the Sept. 11 terror attack.

The Red Cross prepared the confidential reports for the U.S. government to ensure humanitarian laws were being followed and allowing defense teams to view the documents would jeopardize the organization's work around the world, said Matthew MacLean, a lawyer for the Red Cross.

Red Cross access to hard-to-penetrate places requires that it maintain "strictly confidential dialogues," MacLean said.

"The ICRC goes to places of conflict that no one else can go to," MacLean told the judge. "We visit and speak to people that no one can."

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CB_GUANTANAMO_SEPT_11_TRIAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-06-19-02-00-23

[atreides1]

1. That excuse sounds familiar

That's because it's the same one they offered for not reporting on the treatment of the Jews held in the camps!

Here's the story from the New York Times, December 1996

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/19/us/red-cross-admits-knowing-of-the-holocaust-during-the-war.html

[reflection]

2. Good find. I wasn't aware of that story.

Thanks for sharing it.