I find his lack of sense disturbing.
Regards, Ivan
Webmaster, TheDarkSide.Net
Posted on 02/20/2003 3:02:37 AM PST by tictoc
The Boogeyman of the MightySpanish Investigative Judge Baltasar Garzón is preparing to go after Bush & Co
The draft of the indictment is already done. It appeared on the op-ed page of Spanish daily El Pais and bore the title "Attack of the Clone Warriors". Baltasar Garzón, the author, had just returned from viewing the Hollywood blockbuster together with his son. Inspired by the tale of galactic intrigue, the highflying Madrid judge drew an analogy to the imminent battle in Iraq. According to him, George W. Bush is the "Lord Cancellor" mustering a "great army of clones" willing to die for freedom and democracy, although in the event of war, he will be prepared to play one side against the other. Garzón fears that "the Jedi", headed by Obi-Wan Kenobi alias UN Chief Inspector Hans Blix will hardly be able to stop him. A satire? No. When it comes to international law, Señor Garzón is not joking.
Legal guardian of world conscience
It is through his commitment to international law enforcement that he has become prominent enough to publish commentaries like these in leading newspapers. The parable quickly turns into an argument. The accusers in Washington and their entourage find themselves in the defendant's dock, and sitting next to them is the Spanish administration of prime minister José María Aznar which has pledged unconditional fealty to Bush in the face of public opposition. Not that Garzón is ready to exonerate the despotic Saddam, but this expert considers the American's evidence to be a farce. "Where is the right of the Iraqi people to defend itself," asks Garzón, horrified by the American logic based on geostrategic interest. The documents presented by Colin Powell are "devoid of content and in no case would justify a military campaign against Iraq," he added in a recent radio interview. It sounds as if Garzón is beginning to make the case for a prosecution.
This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Garzón, whose official title is Investigative Judge No. 5 of the Audiencia Nacional in Madrid, has become famous as the legal guardian of the world's conscience. The purpose of the National Court was different when it was established in 1977: the aim then was to go after organized crime in Spain, such as terrorism, drug smuggling, and white-collar crime. Garzón soon became famous for his success in prosecuting not only the Basque terror organization ETA but also the government's own anti-terror unit GAL. But as the Don Quixote of legal warriors, he soon began to thrust his lance beyond the confines of the Iberian peninsula. It would be difficult to name another jurist who contends with as many mass murderers and million-dollar frauds as this peasant's son from Andalucia. Borders do not hold him back from pursuing his mission.
His best-known adversary was an old man from a distant land. In October 1998, Garzón surprised everyone by obtaining an arrest warrant against Chilean former military dictator Augusto Pinochet, who was detained in a London hospital. "Crimes against humanity" was the charge, which can be prosecuted worldwide under Spain's new criminal code and is not subject to a statute of limitations. A hale and hearty Pinochet was let go by the UK after 502 days "for reasons of health". But Garzón scored a points victory. [...]
Ambitious Jedi warrior
His activism is driven not only by intelligence and workaholism but also by an outsize ego. Garzón (47) is extremely vain [...] His enemies [...] consider him to be pathologically ambitious. He sometimes overdoes it and holds grudges for a long time. [...]
Due to Garzón's efforts, not only foreign potentates are planning their overseas visits more carefully. Besides torturers from Argentina or Guatemala, his list also includes Henry Kissinger and Silvio Berlusconi. He would love to interrogate the former US Secretary of State for his knowledge of the Pinochet case and the CIA-backed "Operation Condor". As for the Italian head of state, the judge accuses him of fraud in the sale of shares in Spanish broadcaster Tele5. And of course, he is also on the track of al Qaeda in Spain, which brings us to his current ire. "There is no connection between al Qaeda and Iraq," says specialist Garzón, accusing the USA of raping international rules.
So, be careful in the White House, in the State Department, and in the Pentagon. Immunity ends when your term in office ends, and then foreign travel will become dangerous. And Garzón does not forget. "The Man Who Saw Day Break," is the title of a voluminous book about him; it refers to his penchant for pulling all-nighters. "The criminal does not sleep," explains the judge. Should the bombs of the clone warriors fall on Baghdad, then Jedi Garzón will be wide awake.
(Excerpt) Read more at sueddeutsche.de ...
He may not be joking, but he is an international joke.
LOL! Yes, that's exactly what he is.
He's also a crazed publicity hound who loves to have his picture taken as he troops along the street in Madrid with his admiring entourage of groupies. The fact that his loose-cannon behavior has caused several international incidents seems to matter not a whit to his followers. After all, he only attacks people he can identify either as "right-wing" or as supporters of the US in some way.
Is that a threat? I'd like to see him try.
"Lord Cancellor" = "Lord Chancellor"
Splel chcek, tictoc. Spell check.
Never would have happened. The walking talking robot might have put his signature on a piece of paper, but Congress was never going to ratify it. We can thank Clinton for this completely needless involvement in the harebrained notion of an international criminal court.
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