"Amnesty International says there has been a downward spiral of human rights worldwide, fuelled by what it calls the "politics of fear" following terrorist attacks in the US in 2001.

Amnesty says the the war in Iraq and what the United States calls its "war on terror" have led to an erosion of human rights and deep divisions across the world.

The group also criticises the repression of Europe's Roma communities, saying politicians are using fear of immigration and terrorism to justify tough measures against refugees and asylum seekers.

In a statement, the secretary-general of Amnesty International, Irene Khan, said minorities around the world were under threat.

"We've seen a wave of xenophobia and racism against groups like Roma, we've seen a rise of Islamophobia and anti-semitism on the back of fear about security, about terrorism," she said.

"So in this way, what we see is a world enveloped in fear and fear being used by governments to create false certainties to avoid accountability."

- BBC"

Labels: corruption, united states of hypocrisy, unlawful

"The consequences of sudden and violent death _ so commonplace in Iraq's relentless turmoil _ have spawned their own macabre subcultures: the human vultures, grave markers with serial numbers for unidentified victims, tattoo artists asked to etch IDs on people afraid of becoming an unclaimed body amid the carnage and killings.

It's more than just another grim tableau in a nation brimming with sad stories. It points to how deeply war and sectarian bloodshed have reordered the way Iraqis live _ and confront the constant possibility of death."

Labels: collusion, corruption, united states of hypocrisy, unlawful

"Josh Wolf, 24, has spent almost six months in jail. More time than any journalist in US history for protecting his sources. He was jailed on August 1st of last year when he refused to turn over video that he had shot of an anti-G8 demonstration in San Francisco to a federal grand jury."

Labels: blogger, corruption, journalism, unlawful