Berwick-Linked Advocacy Group Spearheaded ‘Torture’ Campaign against American Officials
John Rosenthal takes exception to Obama’s appointment of a medical doctor to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services…..
“President Obama’s recess appointment of Donald Berwick to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has sparked controversy for, among other reasons, Berwick’s connections to the Massachusetts-based advocacy group Physicians for Human Rights (PHR).”
A medical doctor who is a Physicians for Human Rights Board member is being opposed because PHR opposes American torture and Israeli harsh tactics? This is America. We’re supposed to be above torture. PHR investigates instances of Israeli torture and that is a bad thing? Read the transcript…..
physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/…/report-useofforce-israel.pdf
Whatever could be wrong with investigating? Actually, in one case, The PHR actually exonerates Israel. In the case of a Palestinian man named Issam Judeh Mustafa Hamed, who was allegedly tortured and killed, The PHR backed up the claim that Israeli authorities gave for his death. He died in a vehicular roll-over accident.
I fail to understand why being connected to a group that performs unbiased investigations of abuse would detract from his ability to head an agency involved in health care issues? After all, he is a medical doctor.
