Posted on 02/02/2005 12:02:12 AM PST by Stoat
Rumsfeld considers war crime prosecution riskConcern that US leaders and military personnel risk prosecution in Germany for alleged war crimes has become a factor in deciding whether US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will attend an international security conference in Munich, a Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday. US defence secretaries have rarely missed the Munich conference, an annual gathering of the world's top defence and national security officials and experts for two days of frank debate on major issues of war and peace. Mr Rumsfeld has announced no plans to attend this year's meeting from February 11-13 even though he will be attending a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Nice, France just before it. Pentagon spokesman Lawrence DiRita said it remains to be determined whether Mr Rumsfeld will attend the Munich meeting. The meeting's organiser, Horst Teltschik, said last month Mr Rumsfeld was not going. Mr Rumsfeld was among 10 high-ranking US civilian and military officials named in a criminal complaint filed November 30 with a German federal prosecutor by a US legal rights group seeking an investigation into the Americans' role in the torture and abuse of detainees in Iraq. Under Germany's Code of Crimes Against International Law, which was introduced in 2002, German courts have universal jurisdiction in war crimes and crimes against humanity. Acknowledging US concern about the German law, Mr DiRita told AFP, "It's a factor in the decision" on whether Rumsfeld attends the Munich conference. "It's not just a question of the secretary's travel. We have many thousands of US forces stationed there, some of which are named in this brief. So it's a big, big problem," he said. He said the issue was being "worked on a government-wide basis". "My impression is the German Government understands the gravity of this matter, but there are some unique aspects that will take time to address," he said. A Berlin newspaper reported last week that the German federal prosecutor opted not to take legal action against Mr Rumsfeld because no German citizen was a victim of abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison. The New York-based Centre For Constitution Rights, which filed the initial complaint, said on Friday it has filed new documents in the case, contending that attorney-general nominee Alberto Gonzalez had implicated himself in war crimes in Iraq, including torture at Abu Ghraib, in his Senate confirmation testimony. |
Oh - I think there's a fairly easy way to solve THAT problem.
Just march into the German embassies, and arrest a few of their diplomats. They wanna arrest high US government officials. I say - beat 'em to the punch!
Now - which embassy goes first? Mmmmm. Maybe Rumsfeld, himself, could be in on the arrest. I'd love to see that on the news - and you know it would be.
Thanks! That was quick.
I use block text: < tt> and < /tt> without the spaces - for larger excerpts because 10 lines of italics really is impossible to read.
I asked why not how.
-ccm
Y´all here watched way too many Hollywood-movies. Think about it, Germany arresting a US Secretary! LOL.
A slight correction. Germany is NOT claiming universal jurisdiction in war crimes and crimes against humanity. Only, if the offender or victim is German citizen. So, kill a German in Zimbabwe and face murder trial in Germany.
Of course nobody in Germany would arrest him in the moment. This is complete nonsense. He is absolutely safe, because he is bearing a diplomatic passport and the accusations are not suitable for an arrest. Apart from that, nobody in the German justice has the balls to play this game with Rummie.
The real dynamite in the World Court or in Germany's Code of Crimes Against International Law is the effect over longer terms. Since we do not know, if the future administrations in the US or elsewhere put enough pressure on nations like Germany not to prosecute "american war crimes", it could be possible that traveling through Europe will be a quite dangerous adventure for many american soldiers and politicians in the future. Imagine Hillary's (or any other democratic president) "Schadenfreude" if Rummie would be thrown into a sticky prison cell. There would be no help for him. Republicans have reasons to win the next elections.
BTW - Do you remember the case between Belgium and Ariel Sharon? Belgium was the first country that prosecuted crimes against humanity even if no one with Beligian nationality was involved in the crimes. In effect it was impossible for Sharon, who was in charge with the murder in Sabra und Shatila to visit Belgium between 2001 and 2003. In 2003 Belgium canged the law after being pressed by the US and Israel.
International Kangaroo Court ping
Close the bases. Close the bases. Close the bases.
Arrest Rummy...L.O.L.....Oh yeah!...just try it...for one thing they would have to get through his personnel security force...I thought the Germans were anti-violence.
It looks to me like Rummy is having a little fun using Germany's silliness against them. ;-) Rummy's visit to Germany is influenced by this "court" and so to may the presence of "many thousands of U.S. forces stationed there"?
Move them to the border. Move them to the border. Move them to the border.
Because italics over one line long are hard to read.
So Rumsfeld has been on a German-killing spree?
Rummy's defense should be that he was personally responsible for September 11. No German court could possibly convict him then.
You arrest our SecDef and we have several hundred throusand troops who will start killing and breaking things getting him back. Call.
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