According to the initial report in The Canadian Press, UN special rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights Ben Emmerson has an urgent message for the American people which essentially adds up to a presidential endorsement for Barack Obama.
A Romney/Ryan administration, Emmerson warned, would use torture on enemy combatants detained at U.S. facilities, and could point to their election as evidence the public approves of torture. Even so, the broadcast networks have failed to pick up on what seems to be an unprecedented attempt by a United Nations official to influence a presidential election.
"There is no doubt that the Romney administration would be able to claim, in the event of a Romney presidency, a democratic mandate for torture," Emmerson said. "That would put Romney as the first world leader in history to be able to claim a democratic mandate for torture."
Despite his inability to shut down Guantanamo Bay (but best intentions), President Obama was commended by Emmerson for trying to realign U.S. policy with international law that forbids enhanced interrogation techniques. As an international organization that is largely funded by the taxpayers of its host nation, there should be no endorsement of a presidential candidate, much less an order to vote for one over the other, coming from any UN official. There is nothing justifiable about it, no matter what reasoning is used and the media's silence is deafening.
