Lebanon Considers Suing Israel for War Crimes

[babylonsister]

Wednesday, August 30th, 2006
Lebanon Considers Suing Israel for War Crimes

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/30/1418205

The Lebanese government is considering possible legal procedures to sue Israel for war crimes and crimes against humanity. We speak with Lebanese parliament member Ghassan Moukheiber who is leading the charge in the case. Moukheiber is an attorney and a member of Lebanon's parliamentary human rights committee. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has rejected calls for a swift end to Israel's air and naval blockade of Lebanon. Speaking after talks with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, Olmert said the seven-week siege would only be lifted once the ceasefire terms were fully implemented.

Annan, who flew to Israel from a visit to Lebanon, has described the continuing embargo as "a humiliation and an infringement on sovereignty."

Amnesty International cited the blockade in a recent report that accused Israel of committing war crimes in Lebanon. The report called for a UN investigation into whether Israel broke humanitarian law by targeting civilian infrastructure and using of cluster bombs in the month-long war.

Now, the Lebanese government is considering possible legal procedures to sue Israel for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Lebanese parliament member Ghassan Moukheiber is leading the charge in the case. He is an attorney and a member of the parliamentary human rights committee. Democracy Now!'s Ana Noguiera caught up with him in Beirut.

* Ghassan Moukheiber, member of Lebanese parliament.

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. What court would even hear such a case?

After all, just making accusations is anti-Semitism at its worse, and anyone who pursues the case will be portrayed as Hitler and Goering reincarnated. :sarcasm:

[IntiRaymi]

2. And well they should.

Next up: the BFEE.

[VegasWolf]

4. Exactly! To the Hague Mr. Bush. nt

[saigon68]

3. That will get no where

like pissing in the wind

[MrPrax]

5. Huh...

This got moved to I/P dungeon? GD would be appropriate since it's NOT about I/P...but I've stopped trying to figure out the rules anymore...they seem to be making them up these days.

Anyway:

First, if they follow through then the Israelis that are involved will have to stay close to home or humilate their 'host' government who would be obliged to arrest them. Creates more glaring hypocrisy as governments loyal to Israel come up with excuses to ignore international law and ICC conventions they signed.

Second, they should go and see just how GOOD all those 'terrorism' laws are in the US -- the ones that Israel's victims love to use...see if they work the other way since the US loves to hold up it's jurisprudence as a alternative to the ICC. It would be amusing for the 'neutral' US courts to try to explain away the carnage while citing their own involvement in the planning and supplying.

Israel crossed the line and should be punished.