Posted on 02/23/2007 12:29:56 PM PST by republicofdavis
By Stephen S. Pearcy
Stephen S. Pearcy is a Sacramento attorney and peace activist.
In addition to holding President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress accountable for the illegal occupation of Iraq, American troops must also be prepared to accept responsibility. We’re all presumed to know the law. If we accept that fundamental legal presumption, then those of us who claim that the war is illegal must also acknowledge that the troops are unexcused aiders and abettors.
Lt. Ehren Watada’s case is a good example. Watada’s position is that he has a duty to refuse orders to deploy to Iraq because those orders effectively command him to pursue an illegal war. Watada correctly understands that obeying those orders could subject him to war-crime charges under a more just administration (which should try George W. Bush first).
Publicly available information about the Iraq invasion has become so plentiful over the last several years that reasonable people contemplating service in the U.S. military should know that people throughout the world regard participation in the occupation as tantamount to aiding and abetting in mass murder, fraud, human-rights violations, and international war crimes. By now, all of the troops should recognize this, and ignorance is no excuse.
The frequency of U.S.-sponsored war crimes in Iraq is such that it has become the norm rather than the exception. U.S. troops have intentionally and recklessly caused the deaths of so many Iraqi civilians, and continue to do so, that we can now properly regard acts in furtherance of the occupation effort generally to be acts substantially likely to facilitate crimes such as those that already have occurred.
From a legal standpoint, obeying Bush’s orders is akin to the Nazi soldiers who obeyed Hitler’s orders. And we know from the Nuremberg Trials that the “just following orders” excuse is invalid. Watada’s case suggests that we should question all troops’ willingness to follow their illegal orders.
Suggesting troop-responsibility for the illegal war is unpopular, but it also would have been unpopular during World War II for a German citizen to suggest that Nazi troops be held accountable for obeying their illegal orders. At the end of the day, it’s really no different.
If John Kerry insists any vets from Nam are 'war criminals', then his sworn statement alone should buy him life in prison for illegal actions he himself admits to committing.
I'm so sick and tired of these stupid things being posted.
as well as a full time loon.
"He should be tried for treason."
I agree
"as well as a full time loon."
His wife Virginia is a real piece of excrem . . . I mean work too.
I must see that comment made about 20 times a day on FR. People rarely are tried for that in this country any longer unless it has done harm to national security. This scumbag will just use the free speech mantra and not a single thing will ever be done about it.
Period.
Hey, Stevie. Ever heard of the laws concerning treason and sedition?
Yeah, he hangs a soldier in effigy and it's called 'free speech.' A guy hung a terrorist in effigy in Marin County and it was called 'hate speech.'
You never know, someone living in that area might get pushed over the edge by this idiotic leftist loons' rantings and deliver some justice of his/her own for the good of his/her country.
We shave seen recently a leftist lunatic breaking into a person's house and assaulting a family he considered 'pro-war'. The same could happen in reverse.
Just because a crime is not prosecuted does not mean it hasn't been committed. I know it's a quaint, antiquated notion, kind of like patriotism, but there are still some of us who tend to view such things seriously. I really don't care how many times a day you see it on FR...if there are 20 people calling it like they see it, I can only hope our numbers grow.
Unfortunately, some foriegn jurisdiction will nab a soldier
or group of soldiers on a stopover on their way home from Iraq and charge them with international war crimes.
Warrants are slready supposedly issued for CIA operatives
in Italy over transporting enemy combatants.
Given the hatred of the US, I would not be shocked to see
Bush or Cheney served with papers if they venture overseas.
Go ahead and try it punk. I know off hand about quite a few soldiers and Marines that would beg to differ.
Well, Democrats have been causing great harm to this nation and national security, as well as putting the lives of our servicemen in greater, prolonged danger because of their actions, and STILL we do not see any of them tried for their actions.
A large part of the reason why that is, is because those with the power to take such action, are are to spineless to do so
Better yet, get him one of those Checkers Rap Cat paper sacks.
I think Hornady makes a better, more just solution for this persons action
I remember this jerk. Don't he and his equally despicable wife have as their permanent houseguest Countess Cindy of Sheehag?
Their neighbors in Sacramento, I believe, have threatened them if they do that display again, so now they're in Berkeley. Wife works for a pretty big law firm, if I recall, but I can't see them putting up with this. Corporate clients have a way of NOT wanting to be associated with a law firm that allows people like that on the payroll.
My old favorite, the Reductio ad Hitlerum. Intellectual laziness at its worst.
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