US warns Belgium on war crimes cases(Lawyers Preparing a Case Against President Bush)

Reuters | 3/18/03 | Jonathan Wright

[kattracks]

US warns Belgium on war crimes cases

WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - The United States has warned Belgian authorities about the effects of legislation that allows suits against foreign leaders on what Washington considers to be politically motivated charges, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Tuesday.

If such prosecutions proliferate, it could be difficult for senior officials to visit Belgium, which hosts NATO headquarters, he told a group of reporters.

The families of victims of a U.S. attack on a Baghdad shelter in the 1991 Gulf War plan to file a complaint in Belgium against Powell, former U.S. President George Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and former U.S. commander Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf. The complaint would be under a law enabling its courts to hear human rights cases.

Powell was chairman of the joint chiefs of staff under Bush, father of current president, when the United States went to war against Iraq in 1991.

Powell joked that the next NATO ministerial meeting might be short because of the prosecution threat.

He added: "It's a serious problem. The Belgian legislature continues to pass laws and modify them over time, which permits these kinds of suits, and it's the same kind of law that affected (Israeli) Prime Minister (Ariel) Sharon."

"We have cautioned our Belgian colleagues that they need to be very careful about this kind of effort, this kind of legislation, because it makes it hard for us to go places that put you at such easy risk," he added. "If you show up, next thing you know you're being... Who knows?"

U.S. pilots attacked the Amiriyah air raid shelter in a residential suburb of Baghdad on Feb. 12, 1991, in the mistaken belief that it was a military command center, not a refuge for civilians. More than 400 people died, including 261 women and 52 children, according to Iraqi official figures.

Powell said the case was without merit.

Powell also said lawyers in Belgium were also preparing a case against current U.S. President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld "even before anything has happened," apparently a reference to a possible invasion of Iraq.

The most prominent case so far under the disputed Belgian law was a complaint against Sharon for his alleged role in the 1982 massacre of Palestinian refugees in Beirut.

That case, temporarily suspended while Sharon has immunity from prosecution as prime minister, has severely strained relations between Belgium and Israel. ((Writing by Jonathan Wright;

[Becki]

U.S. pilots attacked the Amiriyah air raid shelter in a residential suburb of Baghdad on Feb. 12, 1991, in the mistaken belief that it was a military command center, not a refuge for civilians. More than 400 people died, including 261 women and 52 children, according to Iraqi official figures.

Gosh. What's next? I suppose they'll want to go after Clinton for bombing a baby milk factory.

Becki

[No Truce With Kings]

Just put the Belgians on notice that arresting an American official for acts performed under the authority of office will be treated as an act of war.

[marron]

Further demonstration that NATO as we have known it is finished.

When Belgium no longer fears to attack the US, it is clear that she has no external enemies, nor have Germany, nor France. At least, none that they recognize.

So lets throw an "end of the alliance" party, pass out party favors, congratulate ourselves for a famous victory, and then move our offices, bases, and assets out of these countries. Nothing says that the new alliance, as yet unnamed, couldn't be headquartered in Warsaw, or Bucharest, or Sofia. Or Baghdad. Or Perth.

I don't know of one good reason it should be in Brussels.

[TLBSHOW]

We want out of this World Court and the UN. We need out now.

BUMP

[em2vn]

The Darwin awards were made for Belgium if it wants to arrest a setting or former Prime Minister of Israel. The Jewish nation won't be too gentle as it removes one of its own from arrest in Belgium.

[crazycat]

Strange that they haven't been able to put Mark Dutroux in front of any of their poxy courts yet.

What is it 6 yrs and counting.

During the last gulf War they refused to sell amunition to the UK, let alone give it.

[ScholarWarrior]

Only one - really good waffles.

On to Tashkent!

[God is good]

They'll never get Bush. Too many Americans would defend him with their life.

[rodeocowboy]

"We have cautioned our Belgian colleagues that they need to be very careful about this kind of effort, this kind of legislation, because it makes it hard for us to go places that put you at such easy risk," he added. "If you show up, next thing you know you're being... Who knows?"

Could you imagine the reprocussions if they placed one of our diplomats, or worse, the President under arrest? That would be hillarious how fast we would wipe them out.

[David1]

Your darn right about that.

[sheik yerbouty]

In the end, The Belgians will waffle.

[zip]

e want out of this World Court

We are not signatories to this bs body. Yesterday, clones (lisping young men) called all of the major talk shows saying that Bush (not President Bush) should be tried for breaking International law" and that the world court will sentence him for his "illegal" war. Several of the talk shows hosts strongly reminded these useful idiots that our President has sworn to uphold the American Constitution not the UN charter and that we we did not sign up for the American assassination court. These wimpy idiots have no idea about the real world,only for that reason I feel sorry for them.

[F16Fighter]

"The families of victims of a U.S. attack on a Baghdad shelter in the 1991 Gulf War plan to file a complaint in Belgium against Powell, former U.S. President George Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and former U.S. commander Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf. The complaint would be under a law enabling its courts to hear human rights cases."

It is of paramount importance that one day very soon President Dubya Bush both publicly and EMPHATICALLY discredit, disavow, and denounce ANY authority whatsoever that the farcical ICC and the UN believe they might have over the United States of America.

The question is WILL HE??

To go on otherwise is to sign Liberty's death warrant.

[VMI70]

Endive into the pool

[thoughtomator]

The first rule of war crimes prosecution: only losers of wars get prosecuted.

Seems that we have a little argument over soverignity with Belgium. We ought to send them some of our explosive "mood elevators" as Steven Colbert so eloquently expressed.

[Maeve]

Belgium needs to be deep fried and thrown into the trash.

This little "Mouse who Roared" needs to be put in its place fast with all NATO operations moved out of Belgium, all US troops out of Belgium, and every sanction one can imagine being thrown up at them -- and the EU if necessary. Let them waffle their way out of this one.

[Beck_isright]

This message is for the German Welcome Mats, er Belgians; you are losing your two bases we have there. You have pissed off the American public because we thought you were just a stray province of france. Keep pushing it and we'll give the Dutch our blessings to invade you so you can surrender again.

[TexanToTheCore]

Texas sez:

Come and get him, if y'all think you're good enough. 20 million Texans, armed to the teeth, say that you aren't.

[mathurine]

The Belgians would rather involve themselves in judicial folderol like this than prosecute the many child molesters and kiddie-porn monsters preying on its own children. Why do we headquarter NATO there anyway? What do the Belgians provide to NATO anyway? They reap the economic profits of the headquarters and all of its staff and expenditures but contribute nothing of consequence. The current situation with Iraq and the Belgian position on it exposes one more European duffer, slacker and leech.

[Auntie Dem]

Golly gosh! I hope one or more of our planes on their way to Iraq don't wander off course and have a few bombs accidentally fall on the Belgian parliament. That would be a terrible tragedy! What would Jean Claude VanDamme have to say?