Dirty hands and vicious deeds : the U.S. government's complicity in crimes against humanity and genocide

These original essays show how the US government repeatedly aided certain regimes as they planned and then carried out crimes against humanity and genocide. What makes the collection unique-and chilling-is the inclusion of declassified documents generated by the US government at the time: memoranda, telegrams, letters, talking points, cables, discussion papers, and situation reports. In his introduction, Totten offers a critical assessment of US foreign policy as it pertains to genocide and crimes against humanity, and discusses the differences between those two terms. In the chapters that follow, each author presents a detailed analysis of a particular case of crimes against humanity or genocide by a foreign government against its own citizens, and discusses why and how the United States government was complicit. "This collection of original essays, edited by renowned genocide scholar, Samuel Totten, shows how the United States government repeatedly aided certain regimes as they planned and then carried out crimes against humanity and genocide. The cases include Indonesia, Bangladesh, Chile, East Timor, Argentina, Guatemala, and Rwanda. The goals of this book are first to inform U.S. citizens, university students, human rights activists, and anti-genocide activists why and how various United States presidential administrations responded to the perpetration of crimes against humanity and genocide by foreign nations with which it had close relations. Second, to raise awareness--particularly that of students at the university level--how certain decisions with monumental consequences made by various U.S. government officials compare and contrast with the purported ethics of the United States. Third, to encourage and prod readers to ponder whether certain actions of U.S. Government officials were reasonable or unreasonable; moral, amoral or immoral; right or wrong; and/or legal or criminal. In his Introduction, Totten offers a critical assessment of the US Foreign Policy as it pertains to genocide and crimes against humanity, and discusses the differences between those two terms--a subject that generates great debate among scholars. In the following chapters, each author presents a detailed analysis of a particular case of crimes against humanity or genocide by a foreign government against its own citizens, and discusses why and how United States Government was complicit by aiding and/or remaining silent. What makes the collection unique--and chilling--is the inclusion of actual declassified documents generated by the U.S. Government at the time. Such documents include memoranda, telegrams, letters, talking points, cables, reports, discussion papers, and situation reports. Students will see how the fate of human lives is discussed at the highest levels of government. The Appendices include the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crimes of Genocide and a List of Crimes Against Humanity"--Provided by the publisher "This collection of original essays, edited by renowned genocide scholar, Samuel Totten, shows how the United States government repeatedly aided certain regimes as they planned and then carried out crimes against humanity and genocide. The cases include Indonesia, Bangladesh, Chile, East Timor, Argentina, Guatemala, and Rwanda. The goals of this book are first to inform U.S. citizens, university students, human rights activists, and anti-genocide activists why and how various United States presidential administrations responded to the perpetration of crimes against humanity and genocide by foreign nations with which it had close relations. Second, to raise awareness--particularly that of students at the university level--how certain decisions with monumental consequences made by various U.S. government officials compare and contrast with the purported ethics of the United States. Third, to encourage and prod readers to ponder whether certain actions of U.S. Government officials were reasonable or unreasonable; moral, amoral or immoral; right or wrong; and/or legal or criminal. In his Introduction, Totten offers a critical assessment of the US Foreign Policy as it pertains to genocide and crimes against humanity, and discusses the differences between those two terms--a subject that generates great debate among scholars. In the following chapters, each author presents a detailed analysis of a particular case of crimes against humanity or genocide by a foreign government against its own citizens, and discusses why and how United States Government was complicit by aiding and/or remaining silent. What makes the collection unique--and chilling--is the inclusion of actual declassified documents generated by the U.S. Government at the time. Such documents include memoranda, telegrams, letters, talking points, cables, reports, discussion papers, and situation reports. Students will see how the fate of human lives is discussed at the highest levels of government. The Appendices include the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crimes of Genocide and a List of Crimes Against Humanity."-- Provided by publisher MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Introduction 8 CHAPTER ONE: US Action and Inaction in the Massacre of Communists and Alleged Communists in Indonesia (1965–1966) 30 Essay 30 Documents 56 CHAPTER TWO: The Bangladesh Genocide and the Nixon–Kissinger “Tilt” (1971) 77 Essay 77 Documents 116 CHAPTER THREE: “Our Hand Doesn’t Show”: The United States and the Consolidation of the Pinochet Regime in Chile (1973–1977) 141 Essay 141 Documents 166 CHAPTER FOUR: Mass Killing at a Distance: US Complicity in the East Timor Genocide and International Structural Violence (1975–1999) 226 Essay 226 Documents 247 CHAPTER FIVE: The US Role in Argentina’s “Dirty War” (1976–1983) 285 Essay 285 Documents 308 CHAPTER SIX: The United States Government’s Relationship with Guatemala During the Genocide of the Maya (1981–1983) 350 Essay 350 Documents 391 CHAPTER SEVEN: Calculated Avoidance: The Clinton Administration and the 100-Day Genocide in Rwanda (1994) 417 Essay 417 Documents 449 Afterword 474 Appendices 478 Appendix I: List of Crimes Against Humanity 478 Appendix II: United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide 479 Acknowledgments 484 About the Authors 485 Index 489 A 489 B 490 C 490 D 492 E 492 F 492 G 493 H 493 I 494 J 494 K 495 L 495 M 495 N 496 O 497 P 497 R 497 S 498 T 499 U 499 V 500 W 500 Z 501 Cover......Page 1 Half Title......Page 2 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 8 Essay......Page 30 Documents......Page 56 Essay......Page 77 Documents......Page 116 Essay......Page 141 Documents......Page 166 Essay......Page 226 Documents......Page 247 Essay......Page 285 Documents......Page 308 Essay......Page 350 Documents......Page 391 Essay......Page 417 Documents......Page 449 Afterword......Page 474 Appendix I: List of Crimes Against Humanity......Page 478 Appendix II: United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide......Page 479 Acknowledgments......Page 484 About the Authors......Page 485 A......Page 489 C......Page 490 F......Page 492 H......Page 493 J......Page 494 M......Page 495 N......Page 496 R......Page 497 S......Page 498 U......Page 499 W......Page 500 Z......Page 501