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This is from Germany's "Spiegel" today.

Proceedings Against U.S. General Franks

"A very, very serious situation"

17 Iraqis and two Jordanians have undertaken proceedings in the Belgian justice system against the commander-in-chief of the U.S. troops in the Iraq war, General Tommy Franks. The plaintiffs accuse him of war crimes. The case strains the relations between the USA and Belgium.

REUTERS

Franks: Proceedings because of war crimes?

Brussels - The lawyer and politico Jan Fermon presented the proceedings against Franks and another U.S. officer to the Brussels prosecuting attorney's office on Wednesday. "This isn't a symbolic action, my clients want an independent investigation of the events", said Fermon, who wants to gain a parliament seat for a smaller left oriented party in the election next Sunday.

Among the Iraqi plaintiffs are people who were shot at or bombarded in the war, additionally, the widow and the father of the Arab Al-Jazeera journalist who was killed.

The Brussels complaint has strained Belgium's relations with the USA once again. Highly ranked representatives of the USA indirectly placed the NATO location in Belgian national territory in question. U.S. general chief of staff Richard Myers said at a visit in the Brussels NATO headquarters: "This is a very, very serious situation."

Basis for the complaint is a Belgian law which makes the punishment of war crimes possible worldwide. The law had recently been changed by the Belgian parliament under pressure from the American government, though. Now it is hardly possible any more to sue citizens of a democratic country in Belgium.

Since the charges don't have any connection to Belgium, the Belgian general attorney must first decide on the admissibility of the complaint. If he decides that it is warranted, the Belgian government can pass on legal action, under the changed Belgian genocide law, to the international criminal court in The Hague or to U.S. justice.

"Die Spiegel"..05/14/2003.."Eine sehr, sehr ernste Situation"...

Translated by longjack

These people in Belgium need to take the crack pipe out of their mouths and stick to kissing up to the French

Thanks again for your translation abilities. I don't suppose Fermon would care to take on Castro or Mugabe, no, he has an agenda. But if Fermon really had courage, he'd take on Gen. Franks' Commander in Chief.