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The West’s use and abuse of human rights in foreign affairs
IAN SINCLAIR shines a light on the US and British governments’ selective concern for human rights

LAST month news website Politico published an extraordinary leaked US government document concerning US foreign policy. 

Written for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson by his senior policy adviser Brian Hook, the confidential May 2017 memo advises that “the US should use human rights as a club against its adversaries, like Iran, China and North Korea, while giving a pass to repressive allies like the Philippines, Egypt and Saudi Arabia,” Politico summarised.

“Allies should be treated differently — and better — than adversaries. Otherwise, we end up with more adversaries, and fewer allies,” argues Hook. 

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