Dictators Beware !

International Herald Tribune ^ | January 13, 2005 | Jonathan Power

[motomosanto]

HOUSTON, Texas 'An unprecedented movement has emerged to submit international politics to judicial procedures [and] has spread with extraordinary speed," Henry Kissinger observed a few years ago in a tone both despairing and disparaging. His fear is now being borne out for the world to see, with ex-President Augusto Pincochet of Chile, elements of the Sudanese government, and Congolese and Ugandan rebels all likely to be in line for prosecution later this year. As the East Timorese Nobel Prize laureate José Ramos-Horta once put it, "in this day and age you cannot kill hundreds of people, destroy a whole country and then just get fired." By autumn, it is likely that the cases that have been referred to it by the governments of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo involving mass killings and sadistic acts by the rebel groups in the north of Uganda and the east of Congo will be ready for indictments. There is nothing the United States could do to stop these cases going forward.

Indeed, the Bush administration is going to be pressed by human-rights lobbies and perhaps even by members of Congress to work to widen the indictments to include the governments of Congo and Uganda. In fact, the legislation that was drawn up to define the U.S. relationship to the International Criminal Court has a loophole that could allow the administration to support such prosecutions if they don't involve U.S. nationals.

[motomosanto]

There is a reason for joy: Non-stop transnational organized crime in the Congo for over 100 years is coming to an end. All those international criminals and their Congolese counterparts shall face the rule of law in a new world,which we decent human beings are building step by step.

Only decent voices are welcome to reply. If there is out there a stupid mind that is tempted to cme up with "its" crazy opinion to reply,I urge "it" to be more intelligent and find somewhere else to respond.

Motomosanto

[sheltonmac]

Only decent voices are welcome to reply.

You mean only those that agree with this call for a "new world order"? Sorry, but the idea of a global court system (i.e., one-world government) doesn't fit into my concept of freedom.

[An.American.Expatriate]

Pardon me, but just when did the Bush Administration try to actively stop these indictments (as implied in the article)??

I'm glad he didn't sign onto the ICC. It is an abomination for the US.

This article though, seems to imply that he actively sought / is seeking to stop any prosecutions - any facts on this???

[boofus]

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

6th Amendment to the Constitution. The ICC can kiss my a$$.

[TheBigB]

Only decent voices are welcome to reply. If there is out there a stupid mind that is tempted to cme up with "its" crazy opinion to reply,I urge "it" to be more intelligent and find somewhere else to respond.

Well, Heavens to Betsy. Aren't you just the delicate little flower...

[telebob]

Dictators Beware my ass!

How many divisions does the International Criminal Court have?

The notion that the ICC could have indicted Saddam and brought an end to his regime is laughable. Anybody who believes this crap is de-loo-ded.

There won't be any genocidal maniacs thwarted by the ICC or any other action taken of consequence.

[Allosaurs_r_us]

I think the whole reason we shy away from this crap is just who decides what is a crime? Looks to me like you could be railroaded into court for protecting your country if the wrong guy gets power. Since the majority of the world believes Americans are the reason for their plight we would never be aquitted. They would just as soon hang us all.