International Criminal Court’s case against Bashir could provide legal precedence

[cal04]

International Criminal Court’s case against Bashir could provide legal precedence for going after Bush.
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/03/05/icc-bush/

The International Criminal Court (ICC) yesterday issued an arrest warrant for Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Today, the AP reports that, based on the legal principles the ICC used to arrest al-Bashir, former President George W. Bush could be next on the list:

David Crane, an international law professor at Syracuse University, said the principle of law used to issue an arrest warrant for Omar al-Bashir could extend to former US President Bush over claims officials from his Administration may have engaged in torture by using coercive interrogation techniques on terror suspects.

Crane is a former prosecutor of the Sierra Leone tribunal that indicted Liberian President Charles Taylor and put him on trial in The Hague.

Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Programme at Human Rights Watch, said the al-Bashir ruling was likely to fuel discussion about investigations of possible crimes by Bush Administration officials.

President Clinton signed the “Rome Statute” setting up the ICC in 2000 but Bush then “unsigned” the document in May 2002, thereby withdrawing U.S. support for the court. However, the Wall Street Journal reported today that according to a senior White House official, the Obama administration may reconsider joining the court.


George Bush could be next on the war crimes list
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10560243

Obama Starts 'Urgent Review' of U.S. Policy Toward Sudan
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123620918926234023.html

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[crimsonblue]

2. Would this bring up ex post facto implications?

What I wonder about is that since Bush unsigned from the ICC in '02, would any activities that occurred during its inactivation not be subject to ICC jurisdiction. I know that for other countries, the obvious answer is no, but would Bush be allowed by US to be prosecuted in International Court for things his administration did when the US was not bound to the ICC? I'm not a lawyer, and this is just a question. Regardless, I hope President Obama signs us back up for the ICC.

[chollybocker]

3. '...Bush then “unsigned” the document in May 2002...'

Just think back to where you were in May 2002, nine months after 9-11.

W was keeping himself busy, 'unsigning' all accountability against himself and his cronies; then going out in rubber hip-boots, trying to make America feel better about itself. <schnark>

The time-lines are settling into their places.

[barbtries]

4. let it be.

amen