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Alumnus Dr. Steven Miles, the 2004 'Minnesotan of the Year,' among panelists to discuss Abu-Ghraib

By Kristina Boyer '05
April 8, 2005

The St. Olaf Amnesty International chapter will present a panel discussion about the torture at Abu-Ghraib and its greater implications for U.S. foreign policy on April 12, at 7 p.m. in Buntrock Commons Viking Theater. The panel includes Dr. Steven Miles '72, professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School Center for Bioethics, and Mary Kelly, who represents the Twin-Cities Center for Victims of Torture. The event is free and open to the public.

"We want to remind students and that community that this issue has not yet been resolved by the United States government," says St. Olaf junior Gloria MacWilliams-Brooks, an organizer of the event. "We hope to encourage others to consider the grave implications of U.S. violations of international agreements and human rights standards."

Miles, who was recently named "Minnesotan of the Year" by Minnesota Monthly magazine, was one of the first to bring attention to this issue, and authored the article "Abu Ghraib: Its Legacy for Military Medicine" in the British medical journal, The Lancet (vol. 364). The importance of his report has been recognized by international institutions, and has been discussed extensively by U.S. and international media.

Kelly will give the audience background information about how torture is used as a tactic of war, why it doesn't work and what the implications of the events at Abu Ghraib may be. The presentations will be followed by a short question and answer period.

The event is co-sponsored by the St. Olaf chapter of Amnesty International and the Kloeck-Jenson Peace and Justice Fund, an endowment that sponsors scholarships and events related to peace and justice.

Contact Carole Engblom at 507-646-3271 or leigh@stolaf.edu.