DUPE--Please Lock

[gottaB]

Please discuss here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=602055



UNITED NATIONS, June 4 — The United Nations' top human rights official said today that the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers could constitute a war crime, and he called for the immediate naming of an international figure to oversee the situation.

Bertrand Ramcharan, the acting high commissioner for human rights, acknowledged that the removal of Saddam Hussein represented "a major contribution to human rights in Iraq" and that the United States had condemned the conduct and pledged to bring violators to justice.

"Everyone accepts the good intentions of the coalition governments as regards the behavior of their forces in Iraq," he said in a 45-page report issued at the agency's headquarters in Geneva.

But, Mr. Ramcharan declared, after the occupation of Iraq, "there have sadly been some violations of human rights committed by some coalition soldiers."

U.N. Says Abu Ghraib Abuse Could Constitute War Crime....

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Gee, we are surprised....

The words have been used, this means the wheels
have started to spin.

[LittleApple81]

2. WOW... I think this might get to be big. BushCo begging them

to save Bush*'s tail in Iraq... UN jas some power now.

[Nlighten1]

3. Bush Co is going to need an Army of lawyers.

[tkmorris]

4. "COULD" have constituted war crimes?

That's pretty weaselly. Barring a monumental hoax, which it isn't, they ARE war crimes.

[gottaB]

5. In the language of diplomacy

it's pretty heavy

But, yeah. We should say "war crimes" and "War Crimes President" and be suspicious of media who shy away from that language.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

6. ""COULD" have constituted war crimes?"

>>That's pretty weaselly. Barring a monumental hoax, which it isn't, they ARE war crimes.<<

What are these.... I am afraid we ain't seen nothing yet.. better get Perry Mason on deck.


http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1174554,00.html
American experts find that Northern Alliance warlords slaughtered prisoners of war.
>>At Shebargan, they were herded into two of several truck containers. Then, Iqbal said, the doors were sealed. He and the others lost consciousness, and when he came to he was 'lying on top of dead bodies, breathing the stench of their blood and urine'.

'We lived because someone made holes with a machine gun, though they were shooting low, and still more died from the bullets. When we got out, about 20 in each container were still alive.<<

[mom cat]

7. "committed by a few coalition soldiers"

You are right. It is weaselly. Shows how people are afraid of our view of compassion.

[Disturbed]

10. War Crimes?

What is a war crime?
By Tarik Kafala
BBC News Online


Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention defines war crimes as: "Willful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, including... willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, unlawful deportation or transfer or unlawful confinement of a protected person, compelling a protected person to serve in the forces of a hostile power, or willfully depriving a protected person of the rights of fair and regular trial, ...taking of hostages and extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly."


This, international lawyers say, is the basic definition of war crimes.

The statutes of The Hague tribunal say the court has the right to try suspects alleged to have violated the laws or customs of war in the former Yugoslavia since 1992. Examples of such violations are given in article 3:

* Wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages, or devastation not justified by military necessity
* Attack, or bombardment, by whatever means, of undefended towns, villages, dwellings, or buildings
* Seizure of, destruction or willful damage done to institutions dedicated to religion, charity and education, the arts and sciences, historic monuments and works of art and science
* Plunder of public or private property.

The tribunal defines crime against humanity as crimes committed in armed conflict but directed against a civilian population. Again a list of examples is given in article 5:

* Murder
* Extermination
* Enslavement
* Deportation
* Imprisonment
* Torture
* Rape
* Persecutions on political, racial and religious grounds.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1420133.stm

*Does a person need a degree in Law or Int. Law to understand that the US Govt. has commited War Crimes?

[struggle4progress]

8. dupe? also discussed at

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=602055

[gottaB]

11. yeah, sorry

[Just Me]

9. "Could"? They were war crimes, period. n/t

[ms.smiler]

13. A second conviction?

I agree, these are war crimes and George W. Bush was already convicted of war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal For Afghanistan. The Republican Party will have a convicted war criminal for a nominee. If we can't impeach him with one conviction, can we impeach him when he has a second conviction?

[The Magistrate]

12. There Is No 'Could' About It, Mr. B

Some of these actions are beyond any arguement crimes against the laws of war.