Posted on 11/15/2006 3:57:53 PM PST by Milltownmalbay
Former Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, and several high level officials are now facing war crime charges for their alleged involvement in the abuse that took place in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
Abu Ghraib is notoriously known because of the incident in 2003 when pictures showing the abuse and torture of prisoners started appearing on the news. Seven low level servicemen were convicted and this was considered to be an isolated incidence.
Now the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), a New York based law firm, is filing a law suit with the German Republic Lawyers Association (LAV) against Rumsfeld. The LAV has the right to accuse Rumsfeld under the Universal Jurisdiction Law which allows them to prosecute on behalf of the world community.
The case involves 11 Abu Ghraib detainees who came forward claiming they had been mentally and physically abused. Mohamed Al Qahtani claims he was held for 160 days without being charged with a crime, in which he was deprived of sleep for 48 hours, forbidden prayer and sexually abused by a female soldier.
Also, Former Brigadier General Janis Karpinski is providing testimony for the prosecution. Karpinski ran Abu Ghraib in 2003 when the pictures of the abuse and torture victims were released. She claims that she could do nothing about the abuse because it was directed from military intelligence.
Despite the "rock-solid" case the CCR is claiming to have, they have to face many obstacles including the fact that there aren't many courts that would be able to hear the case. Rumsfeld can not be tried on the International Criminal Court because the US is not a member. Rumsfeld could not be tried on the UN court either because the US has veto power according to Ratner, the president of the CCR.
"I don't expect he'll go to jail," says Peter Weiss a representative of the CCR "As far as I'm concerned…I would be satisfied if he spent the rest of his life in shame."
Even with all the criticism, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman comes to Rumsfeld's defense. He said anyone involved in mistreatment of detainees had already been punished.
"It's interesting to me that nobody kind of looks at it from the other side, in contrasting the way in which the enemy handles individuals and respect for people," Whitman said.
Bogus story, as the German AG has declined to prosecute.
#1. It wasn't even what most people think of as abuse at Abu Graib. It was humiliation.
#2. The country that made its Jewish citizenry into lampshades has absolutely no moral mandate to lecture the United States.
This has Ramsey Clarks finger prints all over it. He probably contacted the CCR to take the case. He was behind Lynn Stewart defending the blind shiek the CCR was his first choice though. Can't blame him doubt Stewart has ever been anyone's first choice.
I just spent a few hours taking a look at the virtual tour of Auschwitz where real torture took place. What these fools are trying to do to Rumsfeld is worthy of ridicule. There is no comparison of fraternity level hazing to the horror that took place in Block 11 of Auschwitz. I wish that there was an adult somewhere who would stop such absolute nonsense. IMO jerks who bring forward such garbage should be disbarred. It is an insult to our country, our history, and our culture. Moral relativism has gone too far!
See: http://www.auschwitz-muzeum.oswiecim.pl/html/eng/historia_KL/blok11_sciana_stracen_ok.html
This is so ridiculous! And based on liberal lies of course.
Again, the...Germans? The bleaping Germans?
After all the deaths these people caused in the last century---they should do nothing more than go quietly and sit in the corner ruminating on past sins.
I wouldn't lump all Germans in with one leftist nutjob any more than I would lump all Americans in with ramsay clark.
Perhaps, but if I was a citizen of a nation that gave to the world Adolph Hitler, I wouldn't be making moral judgements on anything.
(YAWN)
CCR is just a bunch of retread Commie losers.
As you will note that article was written in Oct of 2005 not the current suit
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