• US: Wrong Time for Bahrain Arms Deal
    Press release
    Feb 8, 2012
    The Obama administration’s decision to move forward on a $1 million arms sale to Bahrain sends the wrong signal to a country that is engaged in serious human rights abuses.
  • US: End CIA Drone Attacks
    Press release
    Dec 19, 2011
    The US government should transfer Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) command of aerial drone strikes to the armed forces and clarify its legal rationale for targeted killings, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to President Barack Obama and in a questions and answers document. A dramatic increase in the use of CIA drone strikes underscores the need for the US to demonstrate that the CIA adheres to international legal requirements for accountability, Human Rights Watch said.
  • Q & A: US Targeted Killings and International Law
    Q & A
    Dec 19, 2011
    This Q&A focuses on legal and policy issues related to targeted killings, primarily attacks using unmanned aerial vehicles, known as drones, conducted by the US Armed Forces and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Human Rights Watch raised many of the issues addressed here in a December 2010 letter to President Obama.
  • Letter to President Obama: Targeted Killings by the US Government
    Letter
    Dec 16, 2011
    The Obama administration has taken few steps to provide greater transparency and accountability in conducting targeted killings, intensifying concerns both in the US and abroad about the lawfulness of these attacks.
  • Letter to Secretaries Clinton and Napolitano on Camp Ashraf in Iraq
    Letter
    Dec 15, 2011
    We are writing to you before the December 31 announced closure of Camp Ashraf (also known as Camp New Iraq) to urge the US government to take proactive steps to prevent further deterioration in the stand-off between the Iraqi government and the leadership of the Mohjahedin-e Khalq (MEK). This confrontation risks becoming violent and a destabilizing factor as the US military leaves the country and Iraq continues its precarious transition to democratic rule.
  • Landmine Treaty: Progress in Phnom Penh
    Press release
    Dec 2, 2011
    The international treaty banning antipersonnel landmines is making strong progress toward its objective of a mine-free world, as a major meeting on landmines wrapped up in Phnom Penh. However, the United States’ review of its policy has regrettably entered its third year without conclusion.
  • US: President Should Veto Detainee Bill
    Press release
    Dec 1, 2011
    US President Barack Obama should hold firm on his promise to veto a bill passed by the Senate on December 1, 2011, which contains provisions on the detention of terrorism suspects that would undermine US counterterrorism efforts. The administration had previously outlined objections to the detainee provisions in the bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2012, and threatened a veto if the problems were not addressed.
  • Is Guantanamo Forever?
    Commentary
    Nov 28, 2011
    The Senate contemplates a bipartisan bill to make permanent the failed system of indefinite detention.
  • Letter to President Barack Obama Regarding his Visit to Indonesia and Human Rights Issues
    Letter
    Nov 15, 2011
    President Obama's administration has placed great emphasis on its deepening relationship with Indonesia. Human Rights Watch believes Obama's trip to Bali for the East Asian Summit on November 19, 2011, is an important opportunity for him to raise human rights issues with the Indonesian government, both publicly and privately, including matters concerning freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and accountability of the military for human rights abuses.
  • Indonesia: Obama Should Press Rights Concerns
    Press release
    Nov 15, 2011
    US President Barack Obama has an important and timely opportunity to raise human rights issues with the Indonesian government when meeting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono this week in Indonesia, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to Obama. He will travel to Bali for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit on November 19, 2011.