Will Rumsfeld be charged this time?
By 4ftfingers
@4ftfingers (1310)
November 3, 2007 9:53pm CST
Sources:
http://ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/donald-rumsfeld-charged-torture-during-trip-france
http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/02/top12.htm
On the 26th of October while in France, Donald Rumsfeld had complaints filed against him by the International Federation for Human Rights, the Center for Constitutional Rights, the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights and the French League for Human Rights, charging him with ordering and authorizing torture in regards to Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib.
Under the 1984 Convention against Torture - which was ratified by the US and France - French courts are obliged to prosecute individuals responsible for acts of torture if they step onto French territory, just as the US are. However the US and Iraq have failed to launch an independent investigation into the responsibility of Rumsfeld and other high-level U.S. officials for torture, even though their hand in the torture has been well documented in government memos.
As Rumsfeld has resigned his position of US Secretary of Defence, he can no longer claim immunity as a government official or former state official because international law does not recognize such immunity in the case of international crimes including the crime of torture.
Previous complaints include criminal charges sought by Wolfgang Kaleck, Michael Ratner and Peter Weiss of the U.S.-based Center for Constitutional Rights in German courts in 2004. Then in November of 2006 these were supported by 11 former prisoners of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo and over 30 human rights organizations. They have also been endoursed by 1980 Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (Argentine), 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner Martín Almada (Paraguay), Theo van Boven, the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture. And on 15th March 2007, the city council of Berkeley, California.
According to the source this is the fifth time Rumsfeld has been charged with direct involvement in torture stemming from his role in the Bush administration’s programme of torture since 9.11.
So will he finally be charged? Should he even be charged?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
5 Nov 07
This appears to be another one of those political charges while ingoring real problems. It seems to me that the US has invesgated, charged and punished the people who committed the crimes at Abu Ghraib.
What has been done to the Iranain President who has overseen the excution of Gays. Allowing the stoning of women for being raped, cutting off a childs hand for stealing food to eat. For supporting the beheading of POWs. Kidnapping adn impriosment of Dipolmats - protected by almost every culture and by international treaty and conventions.
What about the UN Peace Keepers in Africa that are kidnapping and raping women and children. What has happened to them?
Lets put the resources of the UN Circus to good and go after the real badguys.
This is a political trial and has only one purpose and that is to make the US Look bad. Remember Winston Churchill's famous quote "you can measure the greatness of a country by the number of people who are trying to get into it."
@4ftfingers (1310)
•
7 Nov 07
We would all like to see action taken against Ahmadinejad. But this post isn't about him or anything that's happening elsewhere. This is about an agreement made between our great western nations that has been broken by a government official. If we allow people in power to get off with things like this we lose our credibility as 'western' nations, at home and abroad. We are defined by our values of fairness, that is the big difference between us and Iran etc. The UN peace keeper scandal is also a completely different issue that can't smokescreen what Rumsfeld may have done.
If he is innocent and did not advocate the use of torture what does he have to fear?
This would not make the US look bad. If roles were reversed, would the US counterparts of the convention hesitate to take a French official to trial for the same crime? I doubt it.
Hidding dirty secrets makes the US look bad. Something that a certain Administration has done an outstanding job of so far.
@kimthedane (945)
• Denmark
10 Nov 07
Hi 4ft, nice to see you here again, your contributions to myLot have been sadly missed here in Denmark.
Of course Rumsfield should be charged for the crimes he committed, just as everybody else (especially G.B.). Unfortunately though i dont think it is ever going to happen. One thing this administration have clearly demonstrated in the past 7 years, is how determined they are to brush everything under the carpet and that i believe will happen in this case too.
The political system in the US, I think, is no better than the ones of Russia, Burma, China or Pakistan. Only difference is the way they deal with different crisis. Where the countries above close down the country to stop anything from getting out in the media, the US administration do it in a slightly more sophisticated way. The try to put a lid on any crisis and come up with very poor excuses to defend them self, and create a plausible story, holywood style, and bribe their way to fictive witnesses.
That i believe will happen in this case too. Be real 4ft, the US would never accept that they are stained in the international society, allegations that they started a war on them self. Rumsfield may as well be charged as a show for the mob. But if this is ever going to happen, I believe the outcome will be that both the US government and Rumsfield will be cleared of all charges or at the most get a international reprimand.
