When Bush is in trouble, he changes the law! Bush is proposing “amendments that would eliminate the risk of prosecution for political appointees, CIA officers and former military personnel for humiliating or degrading war prisoners.” The Supreme Court decided in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, that not honoring the Geneva Conventions was illegal.
People have deep feelings and long memories when it comes to war crimes like torture, kidnapping, and extra-judicial execution. Pinochet may be 90-plus and drooling, but he will probably do time just the same. Last year the Kirchner government in Argentina revoked an amnesty that had been created to protect the perpetrators of The Dirty War from prosecution after they left power. And in June, prosecution began against a former Provincial Police Chief of Investigations who allegedly ran a secret detention and torture center during the military dictatorship there.
Former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is wanted for questioning in both Spain and France about a variety of issues relating to the former military dictatorships of both Chile and Argentina. In 2002, Judge Balthazar Garzon, of Spain, supported by other judges in France, asked Interpol to detain Kissinger for questioning during his visit to London.
If I were laying odds, I’d make it about even that Kissinger will at least be detained, and possibly do time sometime before he dies.
I think the Bush Administration sees the handwriting on the wall. The upcoming congressional elections will probably not go their way. I think they are laying the groundwork to protect themselves from prosecution. But even if they succeed, the success will only be temporary. Any immunities they construct for themselves will eventually be overturned. And if any of them, or their minions are guilty of war crimes they will be brought to justice and punished.
Post a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.