Letter: Torture shame

"INCREDIBLE" is a word that springs to mind as commentators prattle on about human rights in China while the George Bush Junior interview, in which he not only admits to sanctioning torture but to directly approving it (your report, 10 November), echoes in our minds.

When is a breach of international laws that forbid torture excusable? When it is the US that does the breaching?

As for the Myanmar elections, these were being demanded by countries such as the US but being condemned from the moment they were announced. US intervention in South-east Asian countries has achieved little prosperity for their populations.

The people of Vietnam have only prospered after freeing themselves from US control and at a terrible cost of genetical birth deformities following chemical weaponry used against the population during their war.

While China is maybe not a total role model regarding its citizenry, nor Myanmar, nor various other countries, neither is the US. George W Bush admitting his approval of waterboarding (ie torture) confirms this.

Ian Johnstone

Forman Drive

Peterhead