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Call to Try Bush
BERLIN - Now that former U.S. president George W. Bush is an ordinary citizen again, many legal and human rights activists in Europe are demanding that he and high-ranking members of his government be brought before justice for crimes against humanity committed in the so-called war on terror.
"Judicial clarification of the crimes against international law the former U.S. government committed is one of the most delicate issues that the new U.S. president Barack Obama will have to deal with," Wolfgang Kaleck, general secretary of the European Centre for Human and Constitutional Rights told IPS.
U.S. justice will have to "deal with the turpitudes committed by the Bush government," says Kaleck, who has already tried unsuccessfully to sue the former U.S. authorities in European courts. "And, furthermore, the U.S. government will have to pay compensation to the innocent people who were victims of these crimes."
Kaleck and other legal experts consider Bush and his highest-ranking officials responsible for crimes against humanity, such as torture.
Many agree that the evidence against the U.S. government is overwhelming. U.S. officials have admitted some crimes such as waterboarding, where a victim is tied up and water is poured into the air passages. Also, human rights activists have gathered testimonies by innocent victims of torture, especially some prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
In an interview with the German public television network ZDF, Austrian human rights lawyer Manfred Nowak, UN special rapporteur on torture, said that numerous cases of torture ordered by U.S. officials and perpetrated by U.S. authorities are well documented.
"We possess all the evidence which proves that the torture methods used in interrogation by the U.S. government were explicitly ordered by former U.S. defence minister Donald Rumsfeld," Nowak told ZDF. "Obviously, these orders were given with the highest U.S. authorities' knowledge."
"George W. Bush is without doubt responsible for crimes such as torture," says Dietmar Herz, professor of political science at the university of Erfurt, 235 km southwest of Berlin.
"According to the U.S. constitution, the U.S. president is responsible for all actions carried out by the executive," Herz told IPS. "Therefore, George W. Bush is responsible for the torture methods used by U.S. authorities, such as waterboarding."
International justice against crimes against humanity began in 1945, with the Nuremberg trials against Nazi criminals, says Kaleck. Leading prosecutor Robert Jackson said at the opening of the trials in October 1945 that "we are able to do away with...tyranny and violence and aggression by those in power against the rights of (the) people...only when we make all men answerable to the law."
But since then this promise has been fulfilled only in exceptional cases, Kaleck said.
"Crimes against humanity have been repeatedly committed ever since, but very few people have been brought before international courts for these crimes," he said, adding that this impunity is particularly obvious for leaders of the Allied countries (such as the U.S., France and Britain), who had organised the Nuremberg trials.
Nobody was ever judged for crimes against humanity committed in Algeria by France, in Vietnam and Latin America by the U.S., in Afghanistan by the Soviet Union and in Chechnya by Russia.
Only in the 1990s, after the Yugoslav wars of secession, the Rwanda genocide, and civil wars in countries such as Liberia and Sierra Leone were state criminals captured, judged and convicted.
"The creation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2002 in The Hague in the Netherlands marks a turning point in the prosecution of state officials accused of crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity or of war," Kaleck added.
But prosecution for crimes of war or for crimes against humanity continues to be highly selective. So far, only perpetrators from weak or failed states from south-eastern Europe, or from the south, especially Africa, have been brought to court. In a case such as that of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, Britain acted as an accomplice to protect him.
Over the last couple of years, human rights activists and some national courts in Europe have been fighting these arbitrary ways. They are appealing for, and in some cases even applying, a universal jurisdiction of national courts.
The Spanish judiciary has opened cases against Latin American dictators such as Guatemalan general Efraín Ríos Montt, who ruled the Central American country between 1982 and 1983, and Argentinean military officers involved in kidnapping and killing civilians.
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140 Comments so far
Show AllTo the Hague I say "Good hunting and good luck".
"No one is above the law"
Barack Obama said this. Now, Mr. President, step up to the plate, appoint an independent investigation commission and ready a few cells at Leavenworth for Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld...
Leavenworth? I'm sure that the French will be happy to re-open Devil's Island just for these three.
q
Maybe this international pressure is designed to force action from within.
This would need to happen in an international court. It will never happen here. It has nothing to do with Obama stepping up to the plate. It needs to come from a higher source. A coalition of countries so to speak. If not then go on dreaming....I certainly will
I am very disheartened by the lack of meaningful action on this issue. I think most people believe that this has a snow balls chance in Hell of bringing the criminals to justice.
The USA has failed to act on this and other moral hazards since its inception.
Mr. Obama has talked a good game, but his plan is the same old story-a two tiered political system and a two tiered economic system.
These have succeeded in pacifying the citizen because, until recently, most everyone felt that they could make it into the ruling elite and enjoy the perks of political and economic domination of others.
I think the game is over, however.
I would echo your disappointment as I believe that this nation cannot move forward without seeking justice and restoring our national honor by investigating the malfeasance and constitutional violations committed by the Bush administration. A special prosecutor ( or three) should be appointed and the Justice Dept. enlisted to assist with this investigation. The GAO should begin to investigate the billings of Halliburton and KBR as well.
My only ray of sunshine is that we havent an Attorney General in place as yet to oversee this complex and vast criminal activity. I do not know if, once Mr. Holder is in place, anything will happen on this front but I think every American who loves his nation should certainly want to see Cheney, Rumsfeld, Gonzales and perhaps even Bush stand before the bar of justice and pay for their crimes.
"Most people would sooner die than think, in fact they do so. Bertrand Russell
We all hope that Obama will actively prosecute these people, but it ain't gonna happen. I think the best thing that we can hope for is that Obama and his administration will simply step aside and let others do the heavy lifting. Let's hope that Obama will have the good sense to avoid giving Bush and his cronies pardons like that idiot Ford did for Nixon. It's probably going to be up to activist groups to get the ball rolling on this. Let justice run its course!
I believe it was the same Justice Robert Jackson who wrote that launching a war of aggression was the supreme international crime, from which all others followed.
If Obama won't sign the extradition papers, I'd be honored.
Indeed, it WAS Associate Supreme Court justice Robert Jackson, the chief American prosecuter at the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal who said that.
Several Nazis were sent to the gallows, some sentenced to long prison terms.
Japanese war criminals also met the same fate.
It was a crime then, it's still a crime now.
Americans are NOT above the law.
NUREMBERG II 2009
It looks like Bush wont be traveling outside of the US for awhile (like the rest of his life).
George Wanker Bush will spend the next year holed up in Preston Hollow, unseen by his neighbors, talking extensively each day to his dog, Barney, about yesterday's Super Bowl. The rest of the time, he will be fielding offers from various agents who book speakers for the rubber chicken circuit. There will be lengthy daily episodes in which he snorts a few lines of coke, drinks whiskey and gets a really nice, comfortable heat on, then fantasizes for hours on end about destroying his enemies: shooting Dennis Kucinich in both knees with a .44 Magnum, sticking needles under his fingernails and then finally crushing his head with a sledge hammer. That's just about it for George Wanker Bush for the rest of his miserable life.
He won't ever be able to travel about this country (USA) either without the cadre of SS agents to "protect" him. Just deserts? Not quite...
Think of how much less it would cost to keep him in jail. Sure the trial would cost a bit, but the rewards of restoring the rule of law would... Nevermind, I don't think it'll happen.
Would an e-mail campaign signed by 50 million people embolden the Obama administration and the International Court?Surely at least that many citizens want thes scum punished.How else can not only current citizens,but future generations have any sense of pride in US governance?
Besides,putting these "people" on trial could loosen their tongues as to where all the stolen $$ are,beginning with the planeload of $100 bills in Iraq.
Short of having trials for these perps,nothing will improve in our economy and eventually the class warfare that the neocons whine about the poor having waged,will come about.I realize that the Overlords have extensive assets in place to wage this war,but is the rapidly accelerating destruction of our society preferable to a revolution that might uplift the large percentage now suffering because of these filthy rich?
The e-mail campaign is a darn good idea. Get it rolling and it will gain momentum.
I think the e-mail is a great idea too. Until we change the current situation that allows these big wealthy government officials to go scot free, especially our own, since we seem to be the role model for the rest of the world, we'll have corrupt government.
I like the e-mail idea. Let me know where I sign up.
they didn't wait for bill clinton to become an 'ordinary citizen'.................did they?
And he only did damage to himself, his family, and his party.
… and to the definition of having "sex"
There's a song to facilitate prosecuting these American criminals at
http://www.coolhanduke.com/shame.html
I log on, therefore I am.
Obama is in but the USA's house is not in order until Bush is behind bars. Is the rule of law finished and the Republic really in ruins?
The crime family has gotten away with murder and torture and will continue to get away with their miasma of egregious deeds until enough Americans demand justice.
face it ladies and gentlemen - at the end of the day, talk of trying Bush or anyone of signifigance is just that - talk. the United States needs to focus on what to do with the wars she finds herself in and deal too, with the economic crisis.
We have bigger fish to fry.
'Yes I'm an extremist, thanks for noticing.'
- Ted Nugent
Hank 1:04 Lack of penalties allows all the other crimes to continue.
With respect to criminal prosecutions of Bush officials, we hear from the corpo-pundits and from Obama himself that we can’t afford to look to the past but must look to the future. Such facile rhetoric sounds sensible, but it begs the fact that the pursuit of Justice is fundamentally future-looking. Those who think justice is past-looking confuse it with vengeance or retribution.
One would expect Obama the Constitutional scholar to understand this, but evidently he is succumbing to partisan politics, as he appears to be doing in so many other areas (e.g., his bailing out of banks not the citizenry, continuing extraordinary rendition, siding 100% with Israel, promoting so-called “clean coal,” allowing offshore oil drilling, etc.)
Justice for Bush/neo-con criminal wrongdoing would help keep in check the Executive Branch of future administrations. Internationally, it would generate political capital for the U.S.; otherwise, the World’s current respect for Obama will dwindle quickly. Without justice, the Obama administration would be sending the message, at home and abroad, that the Bush administration was not an abhorrent aberration but rather the new business-as-usual for the United States of Greed and Paranoia.
If there is any “bigger fish to fry,” it would be to radically reduce corporate financial influence on the electoral and legislative functions, to better ensure that the People’s true interests are served in addressing the whole gamut of critical issues that face us.
Whomsoever does not weed before he sows, reaps weeds. If that’s not in the Bible, it should be. ;-)
There is no "bigger fish to fry" than to return our country to its previous mandate to honor and protect our Constitution and abide by the rule of law.
How can we regain confidence in our economic system until respect for the rule of law is reestablished with no one above the law?
Not just a criminal charge for Bush, but also senior British Govt. officials.
From Eric Margolis http://www.ericmargolis.com/political_commentaries/glasnost-in-london---war-fever-in-washington.aspx
Many Britons are calling for war crimes trials against their former leaders and are angered by plans to send more British troops to Afghanistan.
Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in their moccasins - Native American proverb.
Bring it on. There's a lot of us that have waited quietly or not so quietly for justice.
And it would show the damn right-wingers, greedy bastards and fundamentalist Christians in this country that that kind of behavior is BAD!
BRING IT ON!!!
free2bee
Now is the time to halt the slide of America into the history of failed governments. We were great! We thought it would never end. Nothing can stop change, but changed can be changed!
Hold the perpetraitors responsible and monitor the corporations.
I'm from vigilante country, so I think that before we get these trials going we'd better make sure we have got the right culprit. George Bush is a perfect example of the banality of evil. There is a George Bush under every rock in Texas - just another murderous idiot among a standing wave of murderous idiots. One is reminded of flies, and speaking for myself whenever I swat a fly I think, well it isn't the fault of this fly that it is a fly. I'm not mad at the goddamn fly, I just want it to get out of my face. Same thing with scorpions and rattlesnakes. Venom and malice are just part of their nature. Certainly crimes have been committed and damage has been done and people have been killed and injured. And whose fault is that? I would say it is the fault of the staggeringly irresponsible person or persons who picked up that fucking scorpion and made it Commander in Chief of the Free World. I say step on the scorpion and put that person or persons on trial. I say find them guilty of unconscionable ignorance and sentence them to, say, the collapse of their economy, the end of their imperial influence and the implosion or their collective and personal wealth. The nice thing about karmic justice is that it just happens all by itself without the hassle of cops and judges and lawyers. Like hydraulics. Like gravity.
I like your writing style, but I disagree with what you seem to be saying.
I don't believe that "justice happens." The perps, including Bush and the wealthy scum for which he fronted -- sure, they'll lose some $. And they'll go crying all the way to their Long Island mansions or, if things get bad enough, to their chalets on the French Riviera. Meanwhile, ordinary powerless folks will take the brunt of their evil, selfish decisions.
I support the prosecution of Bush and Cheney not because I believe that they are alone personally responsible, or that it will miraculously make them better people, but because we as a society have committed some unpardonable crimes. The prosecution, conviction and imprisonment of these men would serve as partial atonement for these crimes and as a marker that we've actually learned something as a society.
The fact that this is unlikely shows that we as individuals and as a nation are unpardonably arrogant and barbaric.
Wow. So right on - although I can't agree with the scorpion/bush thing. Having been born under the sign of the scorpion, as well as having lived in Texas for many years, with scorpions that somehow always managed to get inside my home, I got to know the little beasties, and they don't live to torture and kill at will, as bush obviously does. It's only the human animal that does that. Please, don't step on the scorpions just because they live - if we do, then we become no better than the monsters bush, cheney, and rumsfeld!
"Venom and malice are just part of their nature."
Well, venom yes, malice no--only humans are capable of malice, and venom is naturally endowed to both scorpions and rattlesnakes, not socialized or enculturated.
As implied, however, both Bush and Cheney are products of a very sick culture, which is now getting its cumuppance.
The Empire MUST DIE for the republic to live.
Voxclamantis 1:17 --------- karmic and poetic justice best judges around.
Sioux Rose
Well-said, Vox. I think you're saying it should begin with the Supreme Court. Since I expect a justice of high standing to stand for something besides ignorant, narrow-minded self-interest, I have always felt they were a very good place to begin... if not the executions, than the trials. I am speaking about those who PUT their boy in office while the media band played too loud for most to catch the lyrics.
dfairly.wilmoor.karlof1.glenn ford.Sioux Rose - I think if I were a better writer I would be better understood. The perps, I suggest, are us. Not you and I personally, not the Supreme Court, but the American people collectively. BushCo will likely skate through our karmic comeuppance personally, their finances relatively intact, and I'm suggesting that that might be fine. It is we who need to learn the lesson, who need to improve our education system and teach our children to think creatively and critically by remembering that poor choices have painful consequences. I should add that in my heart I do not oppose the public prosecution of our former leaders as a step toward discouraging future abuses. My brother (who is wiser than I am) pointed out to me that the policy of forgiveness is probably to avoid going down the path of many banana republics where the outgoing regime is peremptorily executed by the incoming regime. We must remember that our historical viewpoint (in this case outrage) is always limited by being only a point in time, surrounded by equally important things, principles which will be with us long after Bush is gone. dfairly's conclusion is exactly what I believe should happen, provided we do not send the message that we are scapegoating this handful of people, that we are innocent dupes. We are not. We do not shed ourselves of guilt by pinning the blame on the flies we twice elected to speak for us.
I will amend my inexcusable disparagement of both Texans and scorpions. Actually when I find a scorpion in my toilet bowl I fish it out and toss it outside. And I do the same for Texans.
When then-Justice O'Connor came to my city to give a talk I handed her a letter with my argument for the SC prosecuting Bush for war crimes (since I knew she wouldn't take questions.) She said she would read it but couldn't reply.
They know war crimes were committed. But they follow precedent. No US president has ever been charged with a crime related to the use of force.
Call to Fry Bush - after Darth Cheney and Darned Old Rummy lest they evade justice!
Indeed !! I don't know what the hell is wrong with USA, that i am not hearing any project to trial *all* neocons, not just Bush-II. What is wrong with this society, that after a cabal of criminals killed 1.2 million Iraquis, and US citizens, the whole USA society is not trying Bush.
I don't really understand why is there a Justice System in USA? To try people who litter the streets? and to give speeding tickets? is that what the USA justice system is for? For stupid traffick violations?
Well i think that the US justice system should be labeled: "The USA Traffic Violation justice system." Because i think that the only thing that justice is good for in USA is for traffic problems, and nothing else.
diet_lord
"Poor Mexico, poor Mexico. So far away from God, and so close to the United States." -Porfirio Diaz, Mexican Nationalist, Ex-President
Diet ---- It is used to put a lot of colored people into cold storage.---------- Thanks -------- Peace --------
Sioux Rose
DIET: There are and have been some attempts: Margorie Cohn, at one time John Conyers, Kucinich, and certainly the attorney Bugliosi. There is enormous data indicative of numerous crimes on record, but those in the highest places are protecting their own interests thus far, and not showing the will to prosecute. This is why efforts made outside of the US are so important for a number of reasons, precedent for one, that such deeds never be allowed to happen again.
I'm waiting for Obama to prove to us that justice isn't just for the little people. So far I'm not encouraged.
In case you missed it:
Behind the Drive to War
By Ismael Hossein-zadeh
(This paper was presented at the annual symposium of the Center for Global Trade and Development, Chapman University, CA, April 6-8, 2006.)
http://atheonews.blogspot.com/2009/02/behind-drive-to-war.html
.
If you haven't already read it this Chossudovsky article is complementary and seems to echo some of what the socialist philosopher James Petras advances about Israeli's fascist grand goals in the Middle East:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9501
.
CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME EXACTLY ABOUT THE CAPITALIST ISRAELIS POWER OVER THE USA GOVERNMENT AND OVER THE USA ECONOMY?
Could someone elucidate on the power that Israeli Capitalists have over US government? What if Obama had not spoken to AIPAC? What if other Congressmen had spoken out like Dennis Kucinich?
What exactly would happen if Obama condemned the atrocities in Gaza, openly, and said that the US would no longer be allied with a racist, genocidial state?
Someone told me that he would be assassinated and the murder would be blamed on "redneck" white supremacists. I am really at a loss to comprehend the immense power of Israeli-right wing Capitalists have over the great country of America.
how could such a small country like Israel get to be so powerful that it could control the most powerful country on earth?
it doesn't compute inside my brain !!
.
In my opinion the US sees Israel as an important cog in maintaining control over middle east oil. They are, after all, the most well armed, most modern and best equipped army and air force in that region. Couple that with the fears of Israel that another holocaust will occur, but of Arab origin, and you have the perfect storm.
Israel, in my opinion, is not the tail that wags the dog but is a lap dog of American imperialism in that region. They may , however, have gone too far in slaughtering Palestinians and might just become too much of a liability for the US to support.....
"Most people would sooner die than think, in fact they do so. Bertrand Russell
Sioux Rose
RED RICK: Excellent analysis. Although Israel's policies of aggression may be unjust and loathsome, and while its DC lobbies are genuine influences, it is very naive to suppose that a small Jewish cabal is running things. Is that not the oldest canard?
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UNLIKE EUROPE WITH THE NAZIS
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THE PEOPLE HAVE THE PERMISSION
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ABOLISH ANY NON-REPRESENTATIVE
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