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Kudos from feline: One of the many things I love about this chatroom is knowledgable people who can instantly gratify my need to be informed, and immediately exchange ideas - I love it!

Demanding Truth, Justice and Accountability in Government

War Criminals Hijack Air Force One

Reed31463

These Republicans who hijacked our government in 2000 and have been hijacking every government institution and agency in sight for six years are war criminals. Muhammad Atta Bush hijacks Air Force One every time he gets tired of lying in Washington and wants to lie somewhere else, but his hijacking frenzy may be over soon, courtesy of the Constitution of the United States and the Geneva and Hague Conventions.

Evidence of BushCo's war crimes is irrefutable and conclusive. These war criminals dismiss as "obscure law" the Constitution and the Geneva & Hague Conventions, but their photo op posturing cannot conceal the harsh truth. As legal scrutiny intensifies, the Bush administration and its lapdog Attorney General are finally realizing that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Gonzalez et al might be accused of and prosecuted for authorizing and thus committing war crimes. The GOP fears war crimes

An obscure law....has clarified these issues, and confirms that Bush administration complicity renders officials and troops involved in handling detainee matters vulnerable to prosecution for committing war crimes ...

Snip

Gonzales told the lawmakers that a shield (a law granting him immunity) is needed for actions taken by U.S. personnel under a 2002 presidential order, (that he wrote and advised Bush on) which the Supreme Court declared illegal (too bad, he was a crappy lawyer), and under Justice Department legal opinions that have been withdrawn under fire, the source said. A spokeswoman for Gonzales, Tasia Scolinos, declined to comment on Gonzales's remarks.

(Emphasis mine)

By using the ruse of protecting soldiers from prosecution for the handling of prisoners, Gonzales is asking Congress for immunity legislation. This comes in wake of the Hamdan decision.

Also following this decision, the American Bar Association has all of a sudden realized there is precedence and they could be held accountable for gross negligence.

It appears that the legal community still has a problem. In order to avoid implication, the ABA must publicly demonstrate that they are willing to investigate their peers involved in planning war crimes and indict those DoJ Staff attorneys (such as Addington, Yoo, Keisler, Gonzalez, Viet Dinh, Moschella and Haynes), who have failed to assert their oath of office and have not fulfilled their responsibility to the Geneva Conventions through Article 82 and 83.

Art 82. Legal advisers in armed forces:

The High Contracting Parties at all times, and the Parties to the conflict in time of armed conflict, shall ensure that legal advisers are available, when necessary, to advise military commanders at the appropriate level on the application of the Conventions and this Protocol and on the appropriate instruction to be given to the armed forces on this subject.

Art 83. Dissemination:

1. The High Contracting Parties undertake, in time of peace as in time of armed conflict, to disseminate the Conventions and this Protocol as widely as possible in their respective countries and, in particular, to include the study thereof in their programmes of military instruction and to encourage the study thereof by the civilian population, so that those instruments may become known to the armed forces and to the civilian population.

2. Any military or civilian authorities who, in time of armed conflict, assume responsibilities in respect of the application of the Conventions and this Protocol shall be fully acquainted with the text thereof.

Too bad Gonzales is as bright as a 20 watt light bulb. Any proposed legislation will not relieve him of responsibility under Article 82 and 83. Putting aside the fact that prisoners were abused and tortured based upon legal arguments crafted by the DoJ; the DoD and DoJ still have the requirement to ensure that everyone, and especially military personnel, are trained and well versed in the application of the Conventions. Additionally, they are responsible to ensure that legal advisers are available to advise military commanders of their responsibilities and the appropriate level for the rules of engagement.

So, if this were true, why do these war crimes keep occurring? In light of Abu Ghraib, a reasonable person would think that, if Gonzales truly cared for the troops, then why is he not speaking out to protect these soldiers from prosecution? Where is his outrage at the military commander for not following the advice of his JAG officer?

Oops. It looks like there is still a lot of confusion going on in Iraq. It is one thing to wage an illegal war of choice and adhere to the laws of war. But it is quite another to wage an illegal war of choice and get caught at war crimes again, and again, and again.

Take my advice Alberto. Confess your complicity and testify against Addington, Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush. The gig is up. The whole world is aware of the RNC crimes and by virtue of your office, you will be the first to get popped. The longer you go along, trying to pretend everything is on the up and up, the worse it will be when you are dragged before the Hague. It is only a matter of time before the law finally catches up with everyone involved, but rest assurred you will be the first to fall.