World leaders could face prosecution for acts of state aggression — potentially including the invasion of Iraq — under calls for the International Criminal Court to extend its powers.
Britain and the US are among nations wary of such a move. The change would make “manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations” an indictable offence at the court, which currently prosecutes those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
[…]
Adding the crime of state aggression to the ICC’s remit “would be a significant step forward in the development of international law and an important extension of the court’s jurisdiction”, said Christian Wenaweser, president of the Assembly of States Parties to the ICC, meeting in the Ugandan capital.He added that the Security Council should be the first body to determine whether state aggression had taken place. Some pressure groups think that this would compromise the court’s independence. While the definition of what constitutes an act of aggression has been hotly contested, the key is who decides when the criteria are met.Human Rights Watch said that it had “long opposed control of any crime within the court’s jurisdiction by external bodies because it would undermine the ICC’s judicial independence”.
Hard to have one world government without the rule of law that applies to everyone.
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Holding countries accountable for acts of aggression is a good idea but I’m not holding my breath that this will ever happen.
Cool. The UN Police can arrest Barack Obama for very same war crimes the libtards accused Bush of. Get busy!
Oh, wait. This is the same UN that puts Iran in charge of human rights issues.
Benji–you ever get the feeling you don’t know whats going on?
Can a virgin also be simply “untouched” by experience? I think so.
Read the full article, people! In a commentary, one of the participants in the ICC meeting says:
“… Firstly, it should be noted that the Court does not enjoy retroactive jurisdiction, so there is no possibility of it exercising jurisdiction over any crime of aggression that may have been committed by the 2003 invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq by the Coalition of the Willing. …”
Secondly, there is exactly zero chance that ordinary U.S. soldiers will be indicted or prosecuted by the International Criminal Court. Certainly no one under the rank of at least a 3-star general, and even then only if that person acted on his/her own.
When this court was proposed, Cheney and all his gang were loudly against it, trumpeting the danger to U.S. sovereignty. I thought at the time that they were just being their usual pugnacious “The U.S. is always Right (We Are Right!) and must be allowed to do whatever it wants!!!” selves. Little did I realize that their opposition was because they had actual plans!
We
Are
Right
#27 “Not true. That only applies in ‘capital offenses’ such as murder and rape.”
Or other “serious crimes” such as underage drinking. I was in the military and knew several people that requested court marshal for underage drinking. You can always have a court marshal in lieu of captain’s mast. They teach that in boot camp. It is basic stuff.
““Health and Welfare” inspection ”
These occur on base (not off base and at home) and there is general knowledge that they can happen. They were generally looking for things that attracted vermin, but I do have stories about other things that were found.
“You do not have the right to avoid self-incrimination by refusing to take a piss test.”
Taking a piss test is not self-incrimination. You know ahead of time that you could be subject to a drug test and you can just not take illegal drugs while you are serving in the military.
I did my 4+ years in the US Navy. I saw first hand the cost of defending america’s ‘freedom’. If by freedom you mean ‘strategic interests’ yeah I was part of that, unfortunately.
I got nothing against patriotism, or stupidity, or ignorance, but I do make an effort to avoid all three.
“I never wanted to go into Iraq! It was Cheney. He’s the one who kept promising the WMDs! I’m the victim here!”