Iraq is never far from my mind.
The Healing Powers of Prosecution.
Last year, in July 2017, an Iraqi citizen's attempt to bring a private prosecution against Tony Blair for War crimes was rejected, because the "High court rules that there is no crime of aggression in English law under which former PM could be charged".
"The decision blocks an attempt by a former Iraqi general, Abdulwaheed al-Rabbat, to bring a private war crimes prosecution against the former Labour leader."
"The decision blocks an attempt by a former Iraqi general, Abdulwaheed al-Rabbat, to bring a private war crimes prosecution against the former Labour leader."
John Bolton , National Security Advisor to President Trump, tipped as the next US Ambassador to the UN, has this week threatened the ICC, it's officials, funding and infrastructure with direct material reprisals if they pursue any American citizen or military personnel for War Crimes, anywhere.
"The ICC is dead to us.."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZkXVqHMzV4
And here, an history of John Boltons criticisms of the ICC.
John is a nice man, but tough, he'd have us all believe. He is, of course, a Patriot.
He softly says, "The ICC is dead to us.." speaking for the US State, the way a 'compassionated' christian right winger semi-ideologue would to an errant son or daughter, who had become athiest, and was being disowned ... the drama, the guile, the guilt tripping..... all to mask a heart of stone, an intent towards evil.
Nice man, nasty behaviour? Charm, and presentation skills.
So what is the ICC?
How does it relate to the UK, and why does no-one in the Brexit Camp speak of the ICC in the same tones as John Bolton?
The ICC is a European project, based on European Human Rights Legislation and International War Law. Surely the Brexiteers would be delighted to see that go, yet they rarely mention it. That is a bit odd. As if they did not want to talk about it.
The ICC is convened and instituted under the Rome Statute of The International Criminal Court, and is the recognised International Court where War Crimes, Genocide, etc are prosecuted.
The ICC has been ratified under international treaty by 132 of 195 States. The USA is a signatory, but has not ratified the ICC..
The UK is a signatory and has ratified the ICC, by international treaty, and the International Criminal Court Act of 2001 did integrate the ICC and it's procedures into UK Statute Law, in the aftermath of the Pinochet debacle. Tony Blair over saw this. I bet he regrets it now.... His role in Brexit is divisive, and he is fixated on using the Remain extreme to undermine Corbyn and the democractic emergence within the Labour movement.
Whilst the judgement of the High Court (see above) is technically correct, it is in fact misleading, and therefore wrong.
An ICC investigation and indictment can be initiated here in the UK. Once indicted, the defendant is trasferred to the Juridstriction of the ICC. Because there is no Statute Law to prosecute a War Crime in English or Welsh Law. Obviously.
I repeat , the investigation can be initated in the UK, in England, and if it leads to an indictment, the prosecution will happen at The Hague, and thus the indicted defendants are transferred to The Hague for actual prosecution.
I think some people are very worried, very worried indeed.
Who is worried, and why?
Jeremy Corbyn is among the few leading active politicians who has suggested that War Crimes investigations into Iraq are a necessity for the UK State to regain it's honour. He has some support among the populatioon for this. Indeed, the evidence we already have demands it, and nothing less.
However, we have a problem. Here it is.
1. The fact is that unless the next Goverment has the support of an active grass roots across the country and also within the Civil Service, Military, Police and Justice Systems, and the News media, this cannot succeed.
2. A leader or party cannot do this on their own. They needs us, the entire taxpaying population, not just cheering on, but materially active, ensuring that the Establishment do not derail the process - people power as a restraint on those who would wish to avoid accountability, and justice...
3. The list of people to be prosecuted is long. Think about it, all the high officials who acted, knowing that there were no weapons of mass destruction, and that the action itself was an illegal act of the War of Aggression. All the pundits, the editords, the media owners who dictated the agenda to support the war, the mercenary companies, the supply companies, the contractors of war.
4, A divided electorate, an ideologically divided population, groups who are being trolled to target each other, to hate each other, to fear each other, in our own communities, the distractions of debt, poverty, property ladders, Brexit, Control and Love Island. This is the situation we have been quite deliberately manipulated into. That manipulation, the fact of it, is a far greater problem than the Austerity Brexit it spewed onto our communities. I digress.
5.Jeremy Corbyn is the only leading politician in the UK whom I am aware of that has said in public that he supports War Crimes investigations, indictments and what flows from the evidence trail.#
6. The entire Establishment will resist this with all their might.
7. How far do you think thay are capable of going to prevent this?
8. Are we strong enough as a population to do this?
9. Am I strong enough to do this?
10. Are you?
11. It needs to be done.
Kindest regards
Corneilius
"Do what you love, it's Your Gift to Universe"
Thank you for reading this blog. All we need to do is be really honest, responsive to the evidence we find,and ready to reassess when new evidence emerges. The rest is easy.