Rumsfeld On the Run From French Torture Charges

[babylonsister]

Rumsfeld On the Run From French Torture Charges

Posted by Siun at 4:36 AM on October 29, 2007.

Siun: While Rumsfeld has gotten out of France before an arrest, the case can still be prosecuted since he was in the country when it was filed.

This post, written by Siun, originally appeared on FireDogLake


On Friday Donald Rumsfeld arrived in France to give a speech - but he had to leave via a back door that went directly into the US Embassy and then quickly scampered out of the country. Why? He was afraid French prosecutors would act on an indictment brought by the Center for Constitutional Rights, the International Federation for Human Rights and several other NGOs.

The criminal complaint states that because of the failure of authorities in the United States and Iraq to launch any independent investigation into the responsibility of Rumsfeld and other high-level U.S. officials for torture despite a documented paper trail and government memos implicating them in direct as well as command responsibility for torture - and because the U.S. has refused to join the International Criminal Court - it is the legal obligation of states such as France to take up the case.

In this case, charges are brought under the 1984 Convention against Torture, ratified by both the United States and France, which has been used in France in previous torture cases.

While Rumsfeld had apparently gotten out of France before an arrest, the case can be prosecuted since he was in the country when it was filed. As Larry Johnson notes:

One thing is certain, Rummy is now part of an exclusive but growing club of Amcits who face legal peril in foreign lands because they participated (allegedly) in some kind of torture, disappearance, or other violation of international human rights. That means he won't be going on any foreign junkets. Once outside the safe confines of the United States he can be snatched up and hauled off to France to face questioning.

more...

http://alternet.org/blogs/peek/66348/

[Xipe Totec]

1. Is Rumsfeld back in his spider hole now? nt

[babylonsister]

3. His whereabouts aren't being shared, but I wonder how he feels at

being classified as a war criminal? I'll bet he thought his 'legacy' would be quite different.

[tekisui]

8. Does he still have an office near/at the Pentagon?

He had one for awhile, to "get papers together". I wonder if he still has it?

[hobbit709]

2. Run, Rummy, Run

But you can't hide forever.

[bdamomma]

4. you are above the law in other countries you will pay.

for your crimes.

[KharmaTrain]

5. We're On The Way To The Hague

As the booosh bullies are put out of power, so the rest of the world will now take a look...one our own government and courts have no stomache to tackle. It seems fitting that the French get the ball rolling on this and that other countries will join in as the boooosh cabal is expelled in 2009 and more and more documentation of torture and genocide comes to light. Sadly, this country has forfeited its ability to self cleanse itself of war criminals and its good to see somone else will.

Even without Rummy or others, from what I've read, this court can go ahead and gather evidence and even go to trial with Rummy and others held in abstentia...a critical first step in the much needed, and demanded, accountablity for this ugly invasion and occupation.

Rummy is now a hunted man...others in this regime will be as well. Except, maybe, in Paraguay.

[babylonsister]

6. I hope the French and anyone else who wants to makes his life

VERY uncomfortable. 'A hunted man' sounds good to me, and deserving.

[Lasher]

7. How's that celebrity tour workin' for ya, Rummy?

Maybe you and OJ should compare notes.