BELGIUM: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH SAID THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN WILL RETAIN ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAQ

Record ID: 338299

  • Title: BELGIUM: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH SAID THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN WILL RETAIN ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAQ
  • Date: 25th May 2004
  • Summary: (U6) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (MAY 25, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. PAN EXTERIOR HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH HEADQUARTERS, BRUSSELS 0.07 2. CU HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH SIGN AT THE ENTRANCE 0.10 3. MCU (English) HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH SPOKESWOMAN VANESSA SAENEN SAYING: "Our concern is that what they seem to do, the U.S. and UK occupation forces, is to introduce a sort of in between version of sovereignty, a light version of sovereignty which, according to us, does not exist. Either a state is really sovereign or it is not. There is no in between version. And by trying to introduce a half-sovereign state in Iraq, it seems that they are trying to dodge, to get away from their responsibilities and they are trying to get some impunity fro their actions in Iraq." 0.43 4. ZOOM OUT FROM HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH WEB SITE ON A COMPUTER TO SPOKESWOMAN 0.53 5. SV/CU HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH/PEOPLE WORKING (2 SHOTS) 1.00 6. MCU (English) HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH SPOKESWOMAN VANESSA SAENEN SAYING: "The U.S. and UK troops still remain responsible under the Geneva Convention, you know, regardless of any formal declaration that have been made between states. Whether the UK and the U.S. declare Iraq a sovereign state does not matter because the Geneva Convention looks at the reality, not at a label of a state or a formal declaration between states." 1.27 7. PAN HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH FILES 1.36 8. PAN HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH OFFICE 1.45 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th June 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
  • Country: Belgium
  • Reuters ID: LVA4ZVPLIHOLREOL5B2LJSF2V7Q7
  • Story Text: The United States and Britain will retain ultimate
    responsibility for security and human rights in Iraq
    following the proposed "transfer of sovereignty" on June
    30, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.




    The United States and Britain will retain ultimate
    responsibility for security and human rights in Iraq
    following the proposed "transfer of sovereignty" on June
    30, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday (May 25).

    "The U.S. and UK occupation forces seem to try to
    introduce a sort of in-between version of sovereignty, a
    light version of sovereignty which, according to us, does
    not exist. Either a state is really sovereign or it is not.

    There is no in between version. And by trying to introduce
    a half-sovereign state in Iraq, it seems that they are
    trying to dodge, to get away from their responsibilities
    and they are trying to get some impunity fro their actions
    in Iraq", Human Rights Watch spokeswoman Vanessa Saenen
    told Reuters.

    "The U.S. and UK troops still remain responsible under
    the Geneva Convention, you know, regardless of any formal
    declaration that have been made between states. Whether the
    UK and the U.S. declare Iraq a sovereign state does not
    matter because the Geneva Convention looks at the reality,
    not at a label of a state or a formal declaration between
    states," she added.

    The United States on Tuesday submitted a draft
    resolution to the U.N. Security Council that endorses the
    formation of a "sovereign interim government" that would
    "assume the responsibility and authority for governing a
    sovereign Iraq."


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