Mary Robinson, a highly respected former President of Ireland and United Nations human rights commissioner, says the United States has lost its moral compass and fallen out of step with the rest of the world in the wake of September 11:
Today, the US no longer leads, but is too often seen merely to march out of step with the rest of the world...
Almost five years after 9/11, I think we must be honest in recognising how far international commitment to human rights standards has slipped in such a short time.
In the US in particular, the ambivalence about torture, the use of extraordinary rendition and the extension of presidential powers have all had a powerful ‘knock on’ effect around the world, often in countries that lack the checks and balances of independent courts, a free press and vigorous non-governmental organisation and academic communities.
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