So, who should be tried for war crimes?

Originally published 1/14/07 in Blogger

There was an interesting article in my local newspaper this week by Nat Hentoff
under the heading of "War Crime Trials," and a subheading "Proceedings leave
detainees with no voice, no hope." The article concerned the Pentagon plan to
hold war crime trials this year for dozens of prisoners at Cuba's Guantanamo
military base.

The article went on to tell how Democrat Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont,
chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee will cointroduce a bill with
Republican Senator Arlen Specter, former chairman of the committee to change
last year's Military Commission Act: an act that removed the habeas-corpus
rights of Guantanamo prisoners to petition our federal courts on the lawfulness
of their detention, and the conditions of their confinement.

Ex-Defense Secretary Rumsfeld claimed most of the detainees are "the best
trained, most vicious killers on the face of the Earth." But, two "extensively
documented reports" from New Jersey's Seton Hall Law School, based
entirely on Defense Department data" gave many examples of how flawed
are such claims, and how unfounded many of the Administration's charges.

The article gave specific examples of the unfair and tyrannical treatment
given the prisoners in the years they have been contained. It ended by saying,
"Congress needs to fix a lot more, including the National Security Agency's
lawless, warrantless spying on Americans, and the CIA's renditions of suspects
to be tortured in other countries...authorized by the president--although outside
all American and International laws." (Italics are mine.)

I don't know how many of the Guantanamo detainees are truly dangerous terrorists.
But, based upon the lies and deceit of the American president and his
Administration, I would bet very few. Based upon these actions, if I
had the power, I would be among the first to bring charges before the
International War Crimes Court against the president and his advisors as proven
terrorists, who truly deserve to be tried for their crimes against humanity. The
deaths of tens of thousands of innocent people demand it.

I would also like to advise the American people, that unless they voluntarily turn all
of these arrogant men and women over to the War Crimes Court for their crimes
soon, the world will never believe they didn't condone the actions of these
despicable people.