Articles in Category: United Nations

UN Attny: U.S. is Required to Bring Bush, Rumsfeld to Court for Torture Programs

Says international law, convention obligates Obama government to begin criminal investigation or extradite to country that would prosecute

Congressional Democrats indicate willingness to proceed with investigations...

By Brad Friedman on 1/24/2009 5:30pm PT

From Scott Horton at Harper's...

In an interview on Tuesday evening with the German television program “Frontal 21,” on channel ZDF Professor Manfred Nowak, the United Nations Rapporteur responsible for torture, stated that with George W. Bush’s head of state immunity now terminated, the new government of Barack Obama was obligated by international law to commence a criminal investigation into Bush’s torture practices.

“The evidence is sitting on the table,” he stated. “There is no avoiding the fact that this was torture.” He pointed to the U.S. undertakings under the Convention Against Torture in which the country committed that it would criminally prosecute anyone who tortured, or extradite the person to a state that would prosecute him. “The government of the United States is required to take all necessary steps to bring George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld before a court,” Nowak said.
...
Law professor Dietmar Herz clarifies that under U.S. and international law, George W. Bush bears personal responsibility for the introduction of torture. From the point of his departure from office, head of state immunity terminates, and under clear principles of international law, the United States is obligated to commence a criminal investigation and then a prosecution.

In related news, top Congressional Democrats, including Senators Reid, Levin and Whitehouse, as well as Representatives Pelosi, Hoyer and Conyers have all indicated recently, in various forms, interest in investigations and/or accountability for various Bush crimes, which, reports Jason Leopold at Public Record, amounts to a growing consensus among Dems to approve a probe into torture allegations, and perhaps more.

UPDATE 1/26/09: In an interview with CNN, Nowak said he believes there is already enough evidence to prosecute fomer SecDef Don Rumsfeld:

"We have clear evidence," he said. "In our report that we sent to the United Nations, we made it clear that former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld clearly authorized torture methods and he was told at that time by Alberto Mora, the legal council of the Navy, 'Mr. Secretary, what you are actual ordering here amounts to torture.' So, there we have the clear evidence that Mr. Rumsfeld knew what he was doing but, nevertheless, he ordered torture."

RAW STORY has the video of the CNN interview with Nowak...

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Article Categories: Rights And Freedoms, United Nations, Accountability, Torture, Bush Legacy

The Fall of the NeoCons: Bye Bye Bolton

FAREWELL FLASHBACK VIDEO: On the UN Building in NYC...'It has 30 stories. If you lost 10 stories today, it wouldn't make a bit of difference'

By Brad Friedman on 12/4/2006 12:55pm PT

As the unravelling of the NeoCons continues, today its John Bolton's turn to flee the sinking ship.

Though just two weeks ago Bolton said he expected to be re-upped, Bush today accepted his resignation. From AP today...

While Bush could not give Bolton another recess appointment, the White House was believed to be exploring other ways of keeping him in the job, perhaps by giving him a title other than ambassador. But Bolton informed the White House he intended to leave when his current appointment expires, White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said.

Bush planned to meet with Bolton and his wife later Monday in the Oval Office.

Bush said he accepted Bolton's decision with deep regret.

The resignation, of course, comes in the wake of a new Democratic Congress which was not about to let Bolton's nomination get out of committee. One of the annoyances of that whole "checks and balances" thing, which D.C. politicos have now been forced to go back and look up for reference in the history books to freshen up on the concept.

For his part, Bush was busy freshening up on that concept called "reality" which is showing its ugly face more and more in the White House of late, despite the best efforts of dead-enders in the administration (led by Dead-Ender-in-Chief, George W. Bush) to pretend this is still 2003.

As late as last month, Bush, through his top aides, said he would not relent in his defense of Bolton, despite unwavering opposition from Democrats who view Bolton as too combative for international diplomacy.

In a letter to Bush, dated last Friday, Bolton offered no reason for his decision. "After careful consideration, I have concluded that my service in your administration should end when the current recess appoint expires," Bolton wrote.

For one small reminder of Bush's obnoxiously inappropriate recess appointment of Bolton to the U.N. in the first place, we refer you --- hopefully for the last time --- to this short video of Bolton, as we wave goodbye to the mustachioed Ambassador and await the inevitable announcement of his new job as an "analyst" for Fox "News".

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Article Categories: John Bolton, United Nations

Raw Story: United Nations Human Rights Committee Report Amounts To 'A Moral Indictment' of USA

Report cites 'Treaty Violations', 'Hubris', and 'Willful Disregard For International And Domestic Law' ... and even at that, it just scratches the surface!

WAKE UP, AMERICA! Your shame is world-wide.

By Winter Patriot on 8/4/2006 6:01am PT

Guest blogged by Winter Patriot

From Larisa Alexandrovna of RAW STORY:

UN report a 'moral indictment' of US

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has released its final report after a series of hearings in Geneva last week, which RAW STORY has learned amounts to a moral indictment of US treaty violations, as well as what some attendees and delegates described as US hubris, willful disregard for international and domestic law, and contempt for the Committee itself.

Anybody surprised? I didn't think so.

I can't quote the whole article but I can encourage you to read it!

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Article Categories: Iraq War, Rights And Freedoms, U.S. Constitution, ITMFA, United Nations, Accountability

Bolton Appointed

Bush Contempt of Americans and Constitutional Process Continues...

By Brad Friedman on 8/1/2005 1:00pm PT

As George W. Bush continues his dangerous and unprecedented expansion of Executive Branch power over all others, we thought you might appreciate a reminder of who he has just recess-appointed as Ambassador to the United Nations.

See our previous report --- including a stunning short video --- of Crazy Man John Bolton.

(Video linked above courtesy of the fine folks at OldAmericanCentury.org!)

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Article Categories: John Bolton, United Nations

John Bolton is a Crazy Man.

By Brad Friedman on 5/31/2005 2:19pm PT

Never mind the allegations that he abused his wife by forcing her to participate in group sex. Never mind the allegations that he abused his position to spy on other government officials who opposed him at various times. One might also feel inclined to ignore the 43 former U.S. ambassadors who have added their names to a letter signed earlier by 59 ex-ambassadors opposing Bolton's nomination (most of whom served in Republican administrations, according to AP.)

Never mind all of that (since the Corporate Media has been largely doing so anyway, as per their custom). If you go back to the initial criticisms of John Bolton --- that his past statements about the U.N. make him amongst the least appropriate human beings on this planet to be our U.N. Ambassador at a time when the U.S. so desperately needs cooperation from that world body --- you will likely understand immediately what a boondoggle this man's nomination is. And why it's taken so long to get him through what should have been a very friendly Congress.

As much as the actual words by which Bolton condemns the U.N. itself, it's the way in which he did so that has set off our personal alarm bells about this guy. (Though we admit that, on its own, the statement that losing ten stories today from the U.N. Building "wouldn't make a bit of difference" is troubling, to say the least, for a guy who would be our lead "diplomat" in that body!)

Give his actual statements a look in this very short Quicktime video.

Let us know if you agree that this revealing video --- all by itself --- would seem to indicate that John Bolton is, indeed, a crazy man.

More info, a TV ad, and phone numbers by which you can call your Senators are available via StopBolton.org.

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Article Categories: John Bolton, United Nations

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