US State Cites AZ Immigration Law During Human Rights Talks with China

[Geee]

ABC News:


US Cites AZ Immigration Law During Human Rights Talks with China, Conservatives Call It An Apology
May 17, 2010 12:17 PM

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ABC News' Kirit Radia reports:

During two days of talks about human rights with China last week, the US raised examples of problems on its own soil and cited Arizona's controversial new immigration law as an example of "racial discrimination."

“We brought it up early and often. It was mentioned in the first session and as a troubling trend in our society, and an indication that we have to deal with issues of discrimination or potential discrimination. And these are issues very much being debated in our own society,” Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy Human Rights and Labor Michael Posner, who led the US delegation to the talks, told reporters on Friday.

That the US mentioned the Arizona law during talks about human rights with China, consistently ranked among the worst human rights violators in the world, has raised the ire of some conservatives who see the US as apologizing for the law to a country that persecutes its own dissidents and minorities.

“China murdered millions of its citizens who opposed the government's Communist policies and allows most of its people little or no freedom. We, on the other hand, enforce our immigration laws. No, wait--actually we don't. That's why Arizona had to take a shot at it,” the conservative blog Powerline wrote on Sunday.

The Arizona immigration law requires law enforcement to inquire about an individual’s immigration status if there is suspicion they are in the country illegally. Supporters of the law say it will weed out illegal immigrants and help secure the border. Opponents say it opens the door to racial profiling. The Obama administration has come out against the law; President Obama has called it “misguided.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will travel to China later this week for the Strategic and Economic Dialogue. Posner said Friday he will take part in those meetings as well. He said the US and China will hold talks on human rights again next year.

Speaking earlier on Friday morning the US Ambassador to China, and former Republican governor of Utah, Jon Huntsman said that the talks on human rights were difficult but a sign of improved relations between countries that have had strained relations in the past year over US arms sales to Taiwan, internet freedom and cyber attacks, and trade disputes.

"We're talking about issues that are uncomfortable, quite frankly, but it is a sign of maturity that we can talk about specific cases," Huntsman said.

[Pepper]

Holder is in the running for Fool of the Year. But Mike Posner is going to give him a run for his money.

 

Obama Diplomats Maligning America -- again

 

Obama Diplomats Maligning America -- again

 

There they go again -- bashing America on the world stage.

 

Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner reports that in recent talks with China, US officials put America's human-rights record on a par with Beijing's.

 

"Part of a mature [uS-Chinese] relationship is that you have an open discussion, where you not only raise the other guy's problems, but you raise your own, and you have a discussion about it, about your own [problems]," Posner said.

 

"We did plenty of that."

 

Moreover, he said, "experts from the US side" talked about America's "treatment of Muslim Americans in an immigration context."

 

 

They even ripped Arizona's new immigration law "as a troubling trend in our society." Bragged Posner: "We brought it up early and often."

No doubt they did.

 

 

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/maligning_america_again_dKQQPC3xtwD9eO4IsnsAFM#ixzz0oHJumVjg

[clearvision]

[Sanguine]

I think Poser's comments are verging on treasonous.

[Argyle58]

They're now claiming that he wasn't slamming the U.S., but "pointing out the importance of debate in our society"....a crock of fecal matter when you examine what he actually said.

[SrWoodchuck]

Nothing we can do about fools like Posner & Holder until 2012, and then a big hose to flush into the sewer & out of any more of their "public service."

 

We can elect a Congress this year that will snipe, badger & call into hearings; harassing them, their Putz-in-Chief & his destructive policies.

 

Let them fashion the noose that hangs them by their own petard.

 

 

[Petard: French for "break wind" or to be blown up by one's own "bomb."]