US Denounces Gambian President Over Vow To "Slit The Throats" Of Gay Men

Several days ago Gambian President Yahya Jammeh vowed to "slit the throats" of gay men, adding, "If you are a man and want to marry another man in this country and we catch you, no one will ever set eyes on you again, and no white person can do anything about it." Yesterday US National Security Adviser Susan Rice denounced Jammeh.

“We condemn his comments, and note these threats come amid an alarming deterioration of the broader human rights situation in The Gambia,” Rice said in a statement. “We are deeply concerned about credible reports of torture, suspicious disappearances – including of two American citizens – and arbitrary detention at the government’s hands.” Rice made the remarks in a statement one day before the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia, saying the remarks from Gambia President Yahya Jammeh underscore the need for continued efforts “to seek a world in which no one lives in fear of violence or persecution because of who they are or whom they love.” Jemmeh, who’s been in power since 1994 and survived a coup attempt on December 30, issued a warning to gay men in the Wolof language during a recent rally in which he also threatened the political opposition, according to a translation of his remarks obtained by the international news agency Vice News.

In October 2014 Jammeh signed a bill which makes homosexual acts punishable by life in prison.

UN Ambassador Susan Rice: I Urged Uganda's President Not To Sign Bill

Ambassador Susan Rice Withdraws From Secretary Of State Consideration

Responding to the continuing assault upon her handling of the Libyan embassy attack, UN Ambassador Susan Rice has withdrawn her name from consideration to succeed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.

“I am fully confident that I could serve our country ably and effectively in that role,” Rice wrote in a letter to President Obama today. “However, if nominated, I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly – to you and to our most pressing national and international priorities.” “That trade-off is simply not worth it to our country,” she added.

According to unnamed sources cited by ABC News, the president had already decided that Sen. John Kerry was the better candidate.

Today Is World Human Rights Day

The White House press office sends us this statement from United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice:

Today, we pledge to live up to Eleanor Roosevelt’s inspirational example, for in far too many places human freedoms are still denied. As long as a family anywhere is tormented by a state-sanctioned killer; a peaceful agitator is hounded by a violent brigade; an artist is locked away for expressing what she thinks; an LGBT individual is harassed because of whom he or she loves; a community is beleaguered because of how it worships; a person with a disability is marginalized by those who ignore plain injustice; or a girl is threatened for having the audacity to pick up a book; all of our rights have been violated.

The United States is relentless in pursuit of a world that protects these rights. We fight for them at the United Nations, where we have made important strides, because we know that American leadership in the world can bring action against oppressors and hope to the oppressed. Our job is not done and the path ahead is fraught. But may we work together every day for the cause of human rights, so that our efforts can forge a world that respects our differences, protects our dignity, gives our children opportunities to pursue their dreams, and ensures that freedoms we have pledged to protect are universally enjoyed.

Bolding is mine.