London — The U.S.-led war on terror has made the world more dangerous and left people feeling less secure, Amnesty International said Wednesday.
In its annual report, the international human rights organization said that human rights have been threatened, international laws have been undermined and governments have been shielded from scrutiny - all in the cause of fighting terrorism.
"Draconian measures by democratic as well as autocratic governments to intrude and intercept, to arrest and detain suspects without trial and to deport people with no regard to their fate, weakened human rights protection of individuals as well as respect for the standards of international law," said Irene Khan, Amnesty International's secretary-general.
"The USA continued to detain prisoners from the war in Afghanistan in defiance of international humanitarian law, turned a blind eye to reports of torture or ill treatment of suspects by its officials and allies, and sought to undermine the International Criminal Court through bilateral agreements. In the process, it undermined its own moral authority to speak out against human rights violations in other parts of the world.
"Action that makes people feel insecure cannot make states or societies secure. Because of the real or alleged actions of a few individuals, entire communities identified by race, religion or national origin are being viewed with suspicion. The result is growing unease and uncertainty among large sections of the population.
"Racial profiling and detention of immigrants in the USA., and labeling of refugees and asylum-seekers as 'terrorists' in Europe have compounded the stigmatization. In a climate of increasing xenophobia and racism, asylum-seekers are being sent back to face imprisonment, torture or death and violent attacks on members of minority communities are on the increase."
Kate Allen, Amnesty International's UK director, said the campaign against terror had had an "overwhelming impact" across the globe.
While the world's attention concentrated on Iraq, there was a heavy toll on human rights and human lives' in places including the Ivory Coast, Colombia, Burundi, Chechnya and Nepal, she said.
"There is a real risk that Iraq will go the way of Afghanistan if no genuine effort is made to heed the call of the Iraqi people for law and order and full respect of human rights," she said.
The organization said that more than 18 months after the war in Afghanistan ended, millions of Afghans, including returning refugees, are still facing an uncertain and insecure future.
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