Posted on 10/19/2005 6:49:35 AM PDT by LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget
MADRID, Spain — A judge has issued an international arrest warrant for three U.S. soldiers whose tank fired on a Baghdad hotel during the Iraq war, killing a Spanish journalist and one other, a court official said Wednesday.
Judge Santiago Pedraz (search) issued the warrant for Sgt. Shawn Gibson, Capt. Philip Wolford and Lt. Col. Philip de Camp, all from the U.S. 3rd Infantry (search).
Jose Couso, who worked for the Spanish television network Telecinco (search), died April 8, 2003, after a U.S. army tank crew fired a shell on Hotel Palestine (search) in Baghdad where several journalists were staying to cover the war.
Reuters cameraman Taras Portsyuk, a Ukrainian, also was killed.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Yup, great idea, International Law. Uh Huh, wonderful plan.
Stupidity like this is exactly why the United States should have nothing to do with any international tribunal.
This is the kind of thing which will happen all the time if we allow ourselves to be drawn into various proposed treaties in which International Courts have juridiction over our soldiers for "war crimes".
Fortunately for the soldiers, there is the Soldiers and Sailors protection act.
Otherwise, I could see a Dem holding a high office deporting the soldiers.
when does their once formidable armada set sail ?
Amen to that!!!
Amen.
The Spanish can go to hell, and I hope our Commander-In-Chief tells them so in no uncertain terms!
What do you mean deport them? If I were one of the soldiers (retired from the service), I would be on the next flight to Barcelona...maybe. Of course, these soldiers have the right to vacation in Spain right now if they want to.
What if one of these guys loves Spain? He cannot let a few leftists spoil his vacation plans.
FReepers could make a real point by sponsoring a Costa del Bravo vacation for one of these guys. One would want to hook up with Spanish conservatives for protection once the announcement was made that he was in country.
Or the US Embassy could arrange a visit to Madrid by one of these guys, including a meeting with the judge to say hi.
Very seriously: we cannot allow the precedent. Our citizens must exercise their rights to visit first world countries under such conditions.
In other news: Spanish wine and other exports to the USA take a dramatic dive at time when the Spanish economy is beginning to mirror Germany and France.
The Judge apparently is not aware of, or chooses to ignore, the Status of Forces Agreements that exist between the United States and our allies - including Spain.
The Judge apparently is not aware of, or chooses to ignore, the Status of Forces Agreements that exist between the United States and our allies - including Spain.
I think the U.S. soldiers can breathe easy knowing that the Spaniards would have to crawl up out of their spiderholes first to arrest them.
Is this the same leftist Spanish judge who issued the warrant several years back for General Augustin Pinochet of Chile?
Nonsense like this is why the USA should never submit to any international court, foreign laws or a wannabe world government such as the EU.
We have a constitution and our laws fit our people. Other entities are much worse and think they can bring us down to their level by their idiot rules. Didn't some UN human rights committee just invite the bloody dictator of Zimbabwe to come and make an anti US speech? Like he has any right to criticize any other country after ruining his land?
Who in this govt. has the courage to tell the Spanish Court where to go? WHO ????
[heading to Spain would be a really bad idea. Unless you like to spend your vacation inside a prison cell.]
At least 50% of Spaniards would be on the side of the US soldiers on this issue and I would assume 75% of the police at least. I doubt there would be even an evening in jail.
The only reason the soldiers might now want to do it would be that their names would become more famous during the showdown. The leftists in the press would make a point of repeating their full names and hometown addresses of their parents, over and over and over again.
An American criminal in Moscow, whom I thought was my friend, robbed me a month ago of $350 when he rented me an apartment for a week that wasn't his to rent. He was a liberal John Kerry fan. Apologized for the robbery while basically using the liberal argument that he needed the money more than I did because I had a better job.
When I told him I was going to report him to the police, he came out with all sorts of threats to turn my name into mud with the Russian police with all sorts of fake accusations.
I called the US Embassy, but only confirmed that they would be useless in bringing this fellow American to justice. Our American Embassies overseas are liberal bastions, making it so easy for Americans to commit crimes against other Americans overseas with full protection for the criminal. He could get away with hurting my name with false accusations. The US Embassy would not help me go to the Russian police. There is no such office (posting) in the diplomatic corps for going after American criminals.
So I dropped the matter.
Similarly, these soldiers will probably want the matter to be dealt with diplomatically so it doesn't get much more press than it did today.
True justice will probably not happen.
But such justice would occur if they went to Spain and the Spanish police did NOT arrest them or arrested them for 5 minutes in front of a conservative judge who immediately overrules the Spanish judge.
Nope, it's a new one. It seems they are growing under the rocks. We'll have to fumigate the country...
Thanks for the info. Most people don't seem to understand that the Left never, ever gives up. Even if they "lose" a skirmish, they'll eventually try to rewrite history and turn it into a win. Good luck with your fumigation efforts, and thanks for your and many of your countrymen's efforts in the cause of freedom.
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