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June 30, 2005
At Least a Footnote to History
So, as mentioned before in UtSS comments, here's an excerpt of the primary charges brought against the US, UK, and also against UN, governments of the "coalition of the willing," the media, and war profiteers:
On the basis of the preceding findings and recalling the Charter of the United Nations and other legal documents, the jury has established the following charges against the Governments of the US and the UK:• Planning, preparing, and waging the supreme crime of a war of aggression in contravention of the United Nations Charter and the Nuremberg Principles.
• Targeting the civilian population of Iraq and civilian infrastructure
• Using disproportionate force and indiscriminate weapon systems
• Failing to safeguard the lives of civilians during military activities and during the occupation period thereafter
• Using deadly violence against peaceful protestors
• Imposing punishments without charge or trial, including collective punishment
• Subjecting Iraqi soldiers and civilians to torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment
• Re-writing the laws of a country that has been illegally invaded and occupied
• Willfully devastating the environment
• Actively creating conditions under which the status of Iraqi women has seriously been degraded
• Failing to protect humanity’s rich archaeological and cultural heritage in Iraq
• Obstructing the right to information, including the censoring of Iraqi media
• Redefining torture in violation of international law, to allow use of torture and illegal detentions
The Jury also established charges against the Security Council of United Nations for failing to stop war crimes and crimes against humanity among other failures, against the Governments of the Coalition of the Willing for collaborating in the invasion and occupation of Iraq, against the Governments of Other Countries for allowing the use of military bases and air space and providing other logistical support, against Private Corporations for profiting from the war, against the Major Corporate Media for disseminating deliberate falsehoods and failing to report atrocities.
Frankly, I don't know how far global citizenry will be able to go this round in terms of holding war-criminals accountable for their decisions and actions. But it would be quite shameful if such a document had not been produced. The saddest part is that, even with the godawful media we have, all of it is already in the public record. It's there! I want to scream, sometimes, it's all there.
Btw, Arundhati Roy mentioned New York Times reporter Judith Miller by name in the press conference where they read the statement of the jury and took questions. Miller was named for repeatedly publishing obviously false Pentagon propaganda, and inciting war. Isn't it amazing she still has a job?
In any case, I am glad we have at least added this footnote to history, and perhaps even the basis for a future indictment when and if gears of justice can be made to turn with real powers and jurisdiction.
Posted by zeynep at June 30, 2005 05:56 PM