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Bush cancels Switzerland visit under threat of protests, efforts to arrest him
The Hill ^

Posted on 02/05/2011 8:33:40 AM PST by Sub-Driver

Bush cancels Switzerland visit under threat of protests, efforts to arrest him By Bridget Johnson - 02/05/11 09:59 AM ET

President George W. Bush has canceled an event in the famously neutral country Switzerland because of expected protests to his presence there.

Bush was supposed to give the keynote address at a Jewish group's charity gala on Feb. 12 in Geneva.

Leftist groups had planned to protest the visit, according to news agencies. But several human rights groups had also filed criminal complaints against Bush, demanding that he be taken into custody if he stepped on Swiss soil and investigated for allegations of ordering torture.

A right-wing member of the Swiss parliament also demanded last week Bush's arrest on war crimes allegations if he came to the country, according to Reuters.

Swiss officials countered that, as a former head of state, Bush would be protected with a level of diplomatic immunity, and Keren Hayesod, the group that had invited Bush, said the court actions against the former president did not play into the decision to go forward with the dinner without him.

"We didn't want to put people and property in Geneva at risk. The gala is maintained but George Bush will not take part," the group's lawyer, Robert Equey told the Tribune de Geneve. "The (criminal) complaints did not weigh in the decision."

He noted protests against the G8 summit just across the border in France in 2003 that ended up rampaging through Geneva.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: dubya; georgebush; georgewbush; swiss; switzerland
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To: 353FMG

Its that global voice that was harnessed with the useful idiots of this country that pushed Bush out and gave us a idiotasshole empty suit.


41 posted on 02/05/2011 9:47:30 AM PST by himno hero
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To: lormand

I couldn’t agree more.
BTW, you priorities are right on.


42 posted on 02/05/2011 9:57:26 AM PST by TurkeyLurkey
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To: DesertRhino
Im not a Bush fan,, BUT, If any nation arrests a former American President the way they did Pinochet, etc, they should *immediately* face an ALL OUT war. NO exceptions.

AMEN!!! Even if it was that piece of $h!t Bill Clinton, or even, God forbid, Jimmy Carter, we go in and get him back, and break a bunch of their stuff while we do it. NO EXCEPTIONS.

43 posted on 02/05/2011 10:02:44 AM PST by Hardastarboard (Bringing children to America without immigration documents is child abuse. Let's end it.)
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To: Sub-Driver

At this point, President Bush should go and take a platoon of Marines with him. Then let the fools try to arrest him.


44 posted on 02/05/2011 10:05:22 AM PST by MS from the OC (Obama foreign policy"If you're an enemy we're sorry; if you're a friend, you're sorry" Abe Greenwald)
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To: Sub-Driver

When these leftist twits turn over BJ Clinton to serve his 20 year sentence for war crimes, I’ll listen to them on trying Bush.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/936032.stm


45 posted on 02/05/2011 10:07:06 AM PST by DakotaRed (Why not just pass a law requiring criminals to obey the laws?)
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To: cripplecreek
One more reason I could never be president. I have no desire to leave the best nation ever to grace the face of the planet. (with the exception of Australia)

I'd like to see Israel one day (soon).

46 posted on 02/05/2011 10:29:13 AM PST by theymakemesick ( islam - inspired by Satan www.prophetofdoom.net)
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To: DakotaRed
The sentences against Clinton, Blair, Chirac, and others were announced in Belgrade while Milosevic was still in office (shortly before he resigned) and the NATO bombings had happened the year before. I don't know if the present government of Serbia is interested in trying to have the verdicts enforced.

Public opinion in Europe would no doubt be much more supportive of show trials for conservative American politicians than for liberal ones.

47 posted on 02/05/2011 10:30:45 AM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: I_Like_Spam

If Bush were arrested, Obama would be in a bind. The left, much of the media, a majority of Democrats would be applauding the move, but Republicans and most independents would be outraged. Obama would probably have to oppose Bush being tried overseas, but would anger much of his base by doing so. Probably he would opt for his usual “split the difference” approach—pretend to try to stop the trial while doing so as ineffectively as possible.


48 posted on 02/05/2011 10:35:32 AM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: lormand

‘...After his disgusting words about us recently...’

?????? Explain, please....what ‘disgusting words’ and who is ‘us’????

imho, President Bush loves America and is a great patriot so can’t imagine him speaking against our great country.


49 posted on 02/05/2011 11:23:45 AM PST by 4integrity
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To: Sub-Driver

As if anyone cares what the Swiss think?


50 posted on 02/05/2011 11:23:57 AM PST by Soothesayer9
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To: DesertRhino

And if they arrested Obama?


51 posted on 02/05/2011 11:25:06 AM PST by Soothesayer9
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To: Soothesayer9

They did invent the cuckoo clock


52 posted on 02/05/2011 11:28:34 AM PST by woofie
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To: 4integrity

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2667828/posts


53 posted on 02/05/2011 5:47:01 PM PST by lormand (A Government who robs Peter to pay Paul, will always have the support of Paul)
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To: lormand

Well, what did he say?


54 posted on 02/05/2011 6:41:35 PM PST by dsutah
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To: Sub-Driver

Will he have a German translator, or do the Swiss also speak English?


55 posted on 02/06/2011 8:17:07 AM PST by Theodore R. (Rush was right when he said America may survive Obama but not the Obama supporters.)
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To: Navy Patriot

You are so right! GWB’s failures are still killing us.


56 posted on 02/06/2011 8:19:09 AM PST by Theodore R. (Rush was right when he said America may survive Obama but not the Obama supporters.)
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