The INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT: A Path To Dragging Bush To "Justice"? (Maybe The Only Path Left?)
Kilicrankie P. Smith
dozens of administration personnel guilty of CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY,
it is apparent that the ICC and aggrieved groups and people from lands
and families that have been devastated by the Bushies' illegal wars
will have to be the sources of warrants and indictments of America's
shameful "stewards."
But because the U.S. is, thanks to Bush and Cheney, intentionally NOT
a member of the ICC, processes and dates for appearances before
tribunals at The Hague are going to be iffy.
Following is an example of how the process might work, to the
betterment of America's shattered moral authority and crippled
international respect.
Because it would be unconscionable for the U.S. to formulate foreign
policy programs while it remains a "Torture Nation."
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"ICC Warrants Sought for 3 Sudanese Rebel Chiefs"
By Nora Boustany
Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, November 21, 2008; A17
Vowing to protect Sudanese civilians, the International Criminal Court
prosecutor yesterday requested arrest warrants for three rebel
commanders he accused of war crimes in an attack that killed 12
African Union peacekeepers in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said the commanders were responsible for
the storming of an A.U. camp in Haskanita on Sept. 29, 2007. The
attack, which involved 1,000 rebels, was one of the bloodiest against
peacekeepers since the conflict erupted in 2003.
"Attacking peacekeepers is a very serious crime," he said. "This means
civilians have no protection."
Four months ago, Moreno-Ocampo charged Sudanese President Hassan al-
Bashir with genocide -- the court's first charges against a sitting
head of state.
"No one is above the law," Moreno-Ocampo said yesterday.
The sealed warrants against the three commanders, who lead offshoots
of the main rebel movement, were part of a strategy to get rebel
support, Moreno-Ocampo said. Their names will remain confidential for
now, he added.
Leaders of the mainstream groups indicated they would cooperate with
the court. Suleiman Jamous, a top Sudan Liberation Army-Unity
commander, said his group was not guilty of crimes in Darfur but if
named would go to court to prove its innocence.
"If we are asking Bashir to hand himself in, then there is no reason
we should stand in the face of justice when it is our turn," the
Associated Press quoted Jamous as saying.
"What makes these charges significant and important is the gravity of
the crime of killing peacekeepers," said Richard Dicker, director of
Human Rights Watch's international justice program. "Civilians rely on
peacekeepers for protection, and any hope for restoring security for
civilians in Darfur depends on peacekeepers being able to do their
job."
Other rights and advocacy groups also welcomed the move as further
proof of the court's impartiality in dealing with government officials
and rebels accused of atrocities in Darfur, and for signaling that
violence against peacekeepers will no longer be tolerated. Some groups
have expressed concern that moving against Bashir and two of his
underlings -- a Sudanese minister and the leader of a government-
supported militia charged with war crimes -- could jeopardize peace
talks between the warring factions.
"All actors in Sudan must recognize this fundamental truth: Those who
obstruct peace, security and lasting stability and who target
civilians must be held to account," said Jerry Fowler, president of
the Washington-based Save Darfur Coalition.
Moreno-Ocampo said the warrants were based on evidence collected
during the court's third investigation in Darfur, which found that
rebel commanders had "intentionally" directed attacks at peacekeeping
personnel. The rebel attacks destroyed facilities and property,
"directly affecting aid and security for millions of people of Darfur
who are in need of protection," he added.
Non-Arabic-speaking African peacekeepers indicated to the rebels that
they did not want to fight, Moreno-Ocampo said, but they were killed
anyway. The peacekeepers were from Nigeria, Senegal, Botswana and
Mali.
The peacekeepers, who now form a joint A.U.-U.N. force, have been
unable to end the fighting in Darfur, which has killed as many as
450,000 people and forced 2.5 million from their homes in the past
five years.
Despite a cease-fire declared by the government last week, rebels
clashed with Sudanese government troops in northern Darfur yesterday,
leaving at least five rebels and one soldier dead, according to news
services quoting Sudanese authorities and rebels.
The Reuters news service reported that the rebel Sudan Liberation Army
confirmed attacking an army base near the settlement of Hilif this
week. Leaders of the group said the government ordered airstrikes
against nearby villages in retaliation, Reuters said.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday that reports of
aerial bombings in Darfur were troubling and that he was taking them
seriously.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/20/AR2008112003506.html