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Swiss Miss Bush – GWB Ducks Geneva Criminal Torture Charges
Justice for George W’s torture violations jumped much closer this weekend. Ex-President George W Bush was supposed to fly to Switzerland to speak in Geneva February 15. But his speech was cancelled over the weekend because of concerns about protests and efforts by human rights organizations asking Swiss prosecutors to charge Bush with torture and serve him with an arrest warrant.
Two things made this possible. Switzerland allows the prosecution of human rights violators from other countries if the violator is on Swiss soil and George W admitted he authorized water boarding detainees in his recent memoir. Torture is internationally banned by the Convention Against Torture. 
The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, the International Federation for Human Rights, and the US-based Center for Constitutional Rights prepared criminal complaints with more than 2500 pages of supporting material to submit to the Swiss prosecutor. These criminal complaints were signed by more than 60 human rights organizations world wide and by the former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, the former UN Special Rapporteur on Independence of Judges and Lawyers, and Nobel Peace Prize recipients Shirin Ebadi and Perez Esquivel.
Amnesty International, which has repeatedly called for criminal investigation of torture by GWB, sent Swiss prosecutors a detailed legal and factual analysis of President Bush’s criminal responsibility for torture.
While some traditionalists in the human rights community scoff at the notion that GWB and others will ever be held accountable for their violations, experts disagree.
"Nobody – from those who administered the practices to those at the top of the chain of command – is under a shield of absolute immunity for the practices of secret detention, extraordinary rendition and torture," Martin Scheinin, UN special rapporteur on human rights and professor of public international law at the European University Institute told The Guardian. "Legally this case is quite clear. Bush does not enjoy immunity as a former head of state, and he has command responsibility for the decisions that were taken."
Similar efforts to prosecute former President Bush, former Bush lawyers Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Federal Appeals Court Judge Jay Bybee, John Yoo, William J. Haynes II, David Addington, and Douglas J Feith are proceeding in Spain.
All of these international efforts to seek justice for the human rights violations committed by the Bush administration are possible only because the US has refused to prosecute – another disappointment by the Obama administration.
Ironically, February 7 is the ninth anniversary of the date when GWB unilaterally decided that the Geneva Conventions did not apply to enemy combatants. GWB denied, as most facing criminal charges do, that the possibility of prosecution was involved at all in the decision to cancel his trip.
The human rights community promised to pursue Bush and the other human rights violators whenever they leave the US. Katherine Gallagher and Claire Tixiere, the lead lawyers authoring the 2500 page criminal case in Geneva stated: “The reach of the Convention Against Torture is wide – this case is prepared and will be waiting for him wherever he travels next. Torturers – even if they are former presidents of the United States – must be held to account and prosecuted. Impunity for Bush must end.”
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34 Comments so far
Show AllInternational criminal complaints on high-profile "suspects" are tough to keep a lid on. Any significant filings are sure to get attention from the former administration's handlers, so unless W and his minions can get lulled into complacency about travel abroad, he's safe. The chances of, say, a banal rendition from Dallas, is highly unlikely.
No, they won't get him out of Texas, not in 2011 or 2012. But he won't speak in Switzerland, either, or not this time.
Contrary to what one reads so often, tinhorn torture merchants often do get killed or prosecuted--just usually decades after the fact.
So we don't win the game with a stroke, as we might rather. So push one pawn forward, and let George Bush step back. Next?
Here's another one:
Mayor of London to Bush: Stay Away From U.K. or Face Possible Arrest
And the mayor of London has sent a message to former President George W. Bush to stay away from Britain and other European countries during his book tour because he could face arrest as a war criminal for authorizing the use of torture. Mayor Boris Johnson wrote about the possible arrest of Bush in the Daily Telegraph. He wrote, "Of course, we are told this scenario is unlikely. Dubya is the former leader of a friendly power, with whom this country is determined to have good relations. But that is what torture-authorising Augusto Pinochet thought. And unlike Pinochet, Mr. Bush is making no bones about what he has done." The former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was arrested in London in 1998.
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/11/22/headlines#4
Would Predator O'Bomber risk nuclear war to free the captive Bush?
This article made my day!
I though that when Bush left office that this issue would been forgotten by the world. I am very glad that i was wrong.
The unfortunate thing is that Bush was not the one who allowed this to happen. In reality all of this was part of the scheme of the United States Government. And despite the transition to Obama these people who supported torture are still in power. The president is just a puppet and always will be and the people behind the scenes made all the decisions and will continue to do so under Obama and any future presidents.
I am overjoyed that people around the world have not forgotten about his crimes because i have not. Maybe one day, one day we will have our justice.
Anyone see this asswipe and Condi enjoying the SB? I am reading Tinroof Blowdown reminding me of how they let NO drown. Just like how Obama murdered the people and animals of the gulf. They should all be in the Hague. Obama worse then Bush. Didn't think I would ever see that.
I have forwarded this article to the St. Petersburg Times with a request that they re-publish it (with the author's permission, of course). The fact that GWB is a wanted internatioal war criminal has been somewhat under-reported in the U.S. press. I'm sure the Times will re-publish this article at my request and that will end the deafening silence on this subject. LOL
Fast-Forward one generation: Bush will be as whitewashed as Reagan.
Oh gawd!!! Surely not! What a nauseating thought.
You'd have thought that one of Dubya's minions would have pointed out to him that Geneva (as in the Covention) is in Switzerland, before he accepted the gig.
They're all not that bright.
Dubya's probably still looking for Geneva on his US map, thinking it's somewhere in Cali-zon-da!
Bush invaded Iraq for the Texas Big Oil cabal. Shouldn't they be prosecuted also?
Let them all serve life in prison with the photos of their victims as wallpapaer on their cell walls and the screaming and crying of their victims piped in over the PA.
The power elite's bravado that they "own the world" and are completely unfettered in satiating their appetites will surely undo this little dummie and his friends/handlers. Couldn't keep from bragging of his power during book tours. No, this evil control system will dissolve like a well-known, prophetic cry from The Wizard of Oz, "I'm Melting!".
0's refusal to prosecute the bush gang was not just "another disappointment".
this is his primary failure to defend the law and confirm any good intentions.
But why wouldn't Big Brave Bush want to face his accusers in court and refute the charges they bring against him?
Yeah, where's his Bring it on?
HaHa good MEMORY karlof1.
No Terror No Torture Just Truth.
So, Gee, Dubya, for the rest of his life, must plan his international travel quite carefully to avoid any nation or territory that might have laws similar to the Swiss. He now realizes that the possibility of him being arrested, detained and charged with international crimes against humanity is very real.
One of the somewhat more ironic aspects of this is that the Convention Against Torture was signed by that great American pacifist, Ronnie Raygun.
It is also tasty to see motion toward accountability for other members of the Neo-con Posse for which Gee, Dubya was the hood ornament.
Patience … gravity always wins.
Maybe this will keep W on his ranch in Crawford. Next in line should be Cheney; maybe he needs to hibernate somewhere in Wyoming. Then how about Rumsfeld and a whole host of other 2001 to 2008 Administration criminals?
How about the 2009 to 2011 Administration officials who aided and abetted Bush? And are committing the same exact crimes? Hillary and Obama come to mind.
Very glad to see that somebody followed the thought to it's logical conclusion. Mr. obomber is in fact not only guilty of covering up George and Dicks crime spree, he's enlarged and expanded B/Cs crimes and shown even more disregard for the Constitution and laws he swore to uphold. And I wonder which constitution it is he studied and taught? Because he regularly screws up stuff and you gotta wonder. Saw him reciting a line from the Declaration and saying it's the Constitution and at first I thought maybe he's tired or needs a nap, like that 57 state thing, but no...he was giving the friggin SOTU speech! I think this dude's not near as smart as he's given credit for, and he's given a spectacular leeway by 'professional liberals', if you'll excuse the expression. People regularly scorn those who keep ranting about his damn birth certificate but I wonder about all those other records he spends so much time and money covering up. You don't cover up things you're proud of, right? So what's he hiding? Maybe the facts will come out at the trial.
exactly, perhaps that's why he became such a distinguished constitutional scholar! so he would later be more efficient in turning it into shreds.
More people need to do this and have the bastard on the run. If every single one of those poor souls that he kidnapped and tortured turned around and did the same thing, they would make a living hell out of his miserable existence. Little consolation as that may be but it if came to a point where he couldn't leave his ranch in Texas for fear of others doing unto him as he has done unto others that would be good. Really, really good. If he has to live the rest of his miserable existence in fear, then, let that be. Poetic justice is better than no justice at all.
Then, go after the one with the pump, Dickless Cheney.
And here's another place where he also seems to be persona non grata:
"Mayor of London to Bush: Stay Away From U.K. or Face Possible Arrest"
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/11/22/headlines#4
I seen this piece of trash at the Superbowl. Swiss authorities informed him the day before his plane left for Switzerland, that he would likely be arrested for war crimes if he came,so Mr. George,decides the Superbowl would be safe.
Justice might have been served,if they just had NOT told him
ahead of time.
no 'divide and rule' please, else the viscious circle of poverty creation will never end. trapping people is not good; people must know what is expected of them.
no prison term for GWB, would be too comfortable; ...a better one instead:
a simple orange overall. out they should go to clean up the mess of their dirty wars.
Yes we all would like to see Bush and the rest of the war criminals get what is coming to them, but do not forget...they are only the water carriers for the people behind the scenes that make policy. Bush never made the rules any more than Obama does; they just carry out the rules for the super wealthy, elite international financiers and war profiteers. They are like lieutenants in the Mafia, they do what they are told to do, the Presidents and Congress are nothing but quislings for the covert Godfathers; otherwise, in most cases, they would not be allowed to be where they are at. No different than Mubarak,Saddam, Pinochet, The Shah of Iran, Karzi and too many more to name.
I can't think of anything that would promote world peace more than putting this war criminal on trial. It would also be very satisfying to many and show others that you cannot get away with these crimes regardless of your position.
..." this case is prepared and will be waiting for him wherever he travels next. Torturers – even if they are former presidents ..."
So... how about not telegraphing it so widely next time.
W perp walked off the tarmac would bring the world to its feet.
I wish I could say that the leadership of the USA is ashamed of this criminal conduct. But, I know that criminal conduct is part of the modus of the leadership.
Nothing happens to bring justice.
Interesting to note though that the American regime will go to extraordinary lengths to kidnap those whom they perceive of possibly committing crimes and then accuse the suspects of mythical crimes and ship by covert or overt means back to, "The land of the free ( or might it be fee?) to stand trial for espionage or arms trafficking on the vaguest of charges and the most dubious shreds of evidence.
Yet when, " push comes to shove," they ( the Americans) refuse to surrender their known war criminals.
I suppose that is a throw back to the end of W.W.2 when the Nazi elite scientists were " liberated."
Their crime sheet was wiped clean and said Nazi scientific elite were rewarded with all the rights of a plaster saint for their efforts in winning the space race and perfecting yet further weapons of mass destruction. Not necessarily in that order either.
Surely not double standards ?
There would be immense pressure exerted against any country that was to put Bush on trial, so it is easier to warn them off. If Bush was prosecuted is there a 'leader' anywhere who is safe?
Whatever the Mayor of London may say, the fact is that Tony Blair is as complicit as Bush, so why hasn't he been grabbed and prosecuted?
If I were in a position to institute prosecutions I would grab Howard, ex prime minister of Australia, and loud mouthed supporter of Bush, and prosecute him followed by Blair. Establish that they are war criminals — there is little room to doubt that fact — then ask continually why it was that the US is protecting their war criminal.
Then if the Us refuses to put Bush and his cohorts on trial, or hand them over, put a price on their heads. Create a situation where they cannot move without a real security detail, where every noise brings fear.
So, he's not gonna don a flight suit and man up and appear in Switzerland as the hero he is?
Well, once a coward and a deserter, always a coward and a deserter, eh?
Too bad we can't round up W. Bush and the rest of the torture-freak sadists (including Barry, Congress and the rest of the long list of war criminals) who turned AmeriKKKa into what it is today, and rendition them to Geneva to stand trial for their actions.