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On 5/15/2009 9:01:17 AM Lieutenant Colonel Sam Mubangu, Office of Legal Counsel wrote
U.S. Africa Command and the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) dispatched two military lawyers to Banjul, The Gambia on April 8-9, 2009, to lead an executive-level seminar on the law of armed conflict and human rights law. There were approximately 50 participants drawn solely from The Gambia's Navy. U.S. Ambassador (Amb) Barry Wells and MG Lang Tombong Tamba, Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) of The Gambia Armed Forces presided over the opening ceremony.
Amb. Wells praised the impressive number of participants and urged them to absorb the lessons presented and fully participate in every discussion. He also reminded the participants that the U.S. and The Gambia share a common interest in ensuring that human rights are respected. For his part, CDS Tamba observed that human rights are essential. He also suggested that the promotion and protection of such rights should be everyone's business. CDS Tamba expressed hope that the seminar would enrich the participants' experiences. He closed by thanking AmEmbassy Banjul and other U.S. stakeholders for organizing the seminar.
The participants asked many questions which resulted in lively discussions of issues. While the two U.S. military lawyers offered carefully reasoned answers, they avoided imposing their views and answers on the participants, and even encouraged them to disagree and articulate the basis for their disagreement, if any.
The participants were reminded that the seminar was a forum specifically designed to encourage a free and honest discussion of issues and in which all viewpoints could freely be expressed on a "non-attribution" policy basis. The Banjul participants appeared very pleased with the instruction during the seminar and all thought it was a success. The Clerk of the Gambia's Navy who attended the seminar summed up its success as follows: "I have attended many workshops during my career; but this one is just exceptional."
(Lieutenant Colonel Sam Mubangu is a U.S. military lawyer with U.S. AFRICOM's Office of Legal Counsel)
On 5/24/2009 4:26:46 AM Javier C. in Stuttgart wrote Lieutenant Colonel Mubangu,
How does the US see itself in a position to lead a discussion on human rights? As a signatory of the 1984 UN convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment even with the many reservations , the US should have known better than to water-board persons. Knowing the right thing to do and not doing it is not something that should be emulated. This sort of hypocritical, self-righteous behavior is one of many reasons why the US maintains a negative image in the world. Its this, and not the many good things that the US does that people remember. The US should strive to set a good example first, and then go about lecturing others.
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