UN: Blackwater May Have Commited War Crimes

[kpete]

U.N. wants security guards in Iraq to face law By David Clarke

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United Nations wants probes to determine whether private security contractors in Iraq have committed war crimes and for governments to ensure that the rule of law is applied, U.N. officials said on Thursday.


The killing of 17 Iraqis in a shooting involving U.S. security firm Blackwater last month has created tensions between Baghdad and Washington and sparked calls for tighter controls on private contractors, who are immune from prosecution in Iraq.

Ivana Vuco, the U.N.'s senior human rights officer in Iraq, told a news conference that private security contractors were still subject to international humanitarian law and that meant there were specific consequences for any breach.

"Investigations as to whether or not crimes against humanity, war crimes, are being committed and obviously the consequences of that is something that we will be paying attention to and advocating for," she told a news conference.

more at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071011/ts_nm/iraq_dc

[madokie]

1. just because george and dick say it is ok doesn't mean it is ok

when It's all said and done the whole illegal cabal will face the internation criminal court in the Hague. That I would bet on that if I was a betting man that is.

[glowing]

2. They ought to be investigating Bush Co. all the way around...

[lonestarnot]

3. They sure use that word "may" alot lately.

[Solly Mack]

4. lol so has the US

and?

Oh, I see...you want to ensure the "rule of law" is applied

lolololol

Step up or shut up

[momster]

5. Water *May* Be Wet

In other news, Humans May Need Air to Breathe.

[Selatius]

6. OK, assume Blackwater is guilty of war crimes. Who is going to bring them to court?

The US government? I hardly think so. Many Democrats simply want to forget about the whole war and move on like nothing happened; they're not supportive of war crimes tribunals a la Nuremberg, and Republicans would never sign on to such a venture.

Who will go after Blackwater if they are guilty of war crimes? Does anybody here honestly think the US government would extradite high ranking Blackwater officers to stand trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity?

[Solly Mack]

7. I'll sign on to that entire statement

[w8liftinglady]

8. a question-because I don't know

Is there some kind of international tribunal that supercedes the US...since we ARE a member of the United Nation?

[Selatius]

14. The Security Council would be responsible for establishing a formal tribunal.

When the SC establishes a war crimes tribunal, it is ad hoc in nature. In layman's terms, one tribunal is established to deal with war criminals involved in one war. Once those war criminals are dealt with, the tribunal disbands.

So far, no tribunal holds jurisdiction over the US government. Being that the US government holds veto power on the Security Council, any attempt to establish a war crimes tribunal with jurisdiction over the US government would be vetoed by the US government outright.

[T.Ruth2power]

9. Understatement

award. Part of the larger war crime.

Who's complicit?

Who funded?

Who voted for the funds?

All part of the same machinery.

Can we get to that?

[Vidar]

10. Wonderful new. Thanks kpete.

[xiamiam]

11. war crimes...that should be our focus instead of impeachment...the world court and then to jail

not just blackwater..but their enablers...and halliburton and cheney and bush and rumsfeld and wolfowitz and rice etc etc etc

[L. Coyote]

12. The ultimate jurisdiction, facing the world charged with war crimes.

If the Iraqis cannot prosecute, and the US won't, hell YES!

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. No shit. I reached that conclusion sitting on my ass in this office chair,

just following the mainstream press reports.

[Hydra]

15. You know, it's funny

We used to cry foul every time the USSR blocked the UN from intervening in their illegalities, but now we're the ones doing it for ourselves and our allies when it suits us.

*shakes head*

We look more like Stalin and Co. every day.

[sutz12]

16. Good thing we don't recognize that International Court thingie, eh?

:sarcasm:

[Me.]

17. I Suggest A Rendition Flight

for Erik Prince, as no one is doing anything illegal it shouldn't be a problem.