Sputnik discussed Washington's decision to pull out from the UN Human Rights Council with Wayne Madsen, a US journalist and columnist specializing in intelligence and international affairs.
Sputnik: What do you think the withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council means for human rights in the US?
Wayne Madsen: Coming one day after these photos…
Sputnik: Of the children that were separated, right?
Wayne Madsen: Yeah, the separation of families. It was really Donald Trump doubling down, thumbing his nose, not only at the United Nations — I would point out that the director of the UN Human Rights Council had the day before criticized the US policy of separating families. But this is just Donald Trump acting as he does — he doesn't care the welfare of children. He has got a track record, according to filings and federal court, of abuse of children.
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We know that many of his advisers, and he's also getting advice again from Steve Bannon, who is in favor of US pulling out of the UN altogether. Steve Bannon also, according to divorce court filings, has had a history of abuse of his own children, so this should come as no real surprise to anyone.
Sputnik: What is it that the US wanted to achieve? What do you make of the real reasons why the US left this organization?
Wayne Madsen: Well, Israel, of course, was the given reason. And it is a major reason, because Nikki Hailey and Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, basically have handed over control of US foreign policy in the Middle East to the Israelis.
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We have the heavy influence of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, and people like US ambassador in Israel, David Freeman, who doesn't even refer to the West Bank as the occupied territory. [Referring to] the West Bank he uses Judea and Samaria, what the settlers and what Netanyahu and the expansionists in Israel call it. So, this again just shows the neocon [neoconservative] influence over this administration.
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