It has been reported that George W Bush called off a Swiss trip, his first abroad since the publication of his biography, Decision Points, where he admitted that he authorised “waterboarding” for Guantánamo detainees. The cancellation seems to have been prompted by the threat of an arrest warrant being issued (and planned protests) over US treatment of Guantánamo Bay detainees. Seemingly without irony, a Bush’s spokesperson announced: “We regret that the speech has been cancelled. President Bush was looking forward to speaking about freedom….” In Britain, Bush faces no such legal risk: under the police reform and social responsibility bill, the consent of the director of public prosecutions would be required for arrest warrants being issued for war crimes and human rights abuses committed abroad.
Topics: Human rights