Some people might have choked on their collective breakfasts when it was announced that former Prime Ministers Howard and Blair would receive US Freedom medals from now former President Bush.
The gesture of providing these two individuals with medals is as disgusting as it is evidence that the three accused human rights abusers have not learned one iota as to how Government leaders should behave as well as comply within the boundaries of International Laws and Conventions.
Let us begin with Mr. Blair.
Blair blindly followed Bush into a war, knowing that the substance of the CIA allegations against Saddam Hussein were based on fiction and not fact and Blair subsequently followed Bush into a war knowing that the war was illegal in law. Blair also supported Bush into a regime of illegal detentions, breaches of the Geneva Convention and other International Laws and Conventions.
Experts now say that Blair is a candidate for having charges brought against him, should the International Criminal Court ever have the courage to lay charges.
These days, Blair is supposed to be a mediator in matters related to the Middle East, a job that he is doing very badly I might add.
Now we get to little Johnny Howard.
Howard also followed Bush into Iraq, hence his nickname Johnny Me-Too and the same allegations apply to him as they do to Tony Blair. In Howard's case there are added allegations.
Charges of breaching Laws of the Sea conventions in relation to the Tampa affair could be brought.
Charges of allowing the Australians to by-pass a vessel in distress subsequently drowning the vessel's passengers and crew are relevant.
Charges related of illegal detention of asylum-seekers could be brought as well as charges in relation to the holding of children in detention.
One can add illegal deportation of Australian citizens, illegal detention of Australian citizens and the list goes on.
Now for the allegations against Bush.
Bush started an illegal war based on nonsense intelligence. He occupied Iraq illegally costing thousands of US and Iraqi lives in the process. Bush failed to abide by the Geneva Convention in relation to captured and held POWs.
The transporting of persons unspecified from places such as Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan to Guantanamo was illegal as was the detention of the people held there.
The process was known as extraordinary rendition. The handing over of those captured as to facilitate abuse was illegal as was the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo.
Bush must answer for the fact that the CIA was operating prisons in foreign locations during his tenure.
Bush also failed to ensure that all human rights provisions in relation to prisoners held in Iraq were complied with.
Bush has a lot to answer for in International Law terms.
Now we get to the fineries.
Evidence against all three people is more than solid and sound, it is in fact overwhelming.
The ICC now needs to get off its backside and start charging people. There is no case in terms of justifying delays in prosecuting these three as there is ample evidence as well as a large number of witnesses.
The US did not sign up to the ICC process but the US has no jurisdiction as to who might be charged should the accused person decide to travel overseas.
The ICC and the UN must now decided if it wants to chase up little tin-pot dictators or if it wants to go chasing some real abusers of international and humanitarian laws.
If it fails to investigate and prosecute these three the ICC might as well pack up and go home.
The gesture of providing these two individuals with medals is as disgusting as it is evidence that the three accused human rights abusers have not learned one iota as to how Government leaders should behave as well as comply within the boundaries of International Laws and Conventions.
Let us begin with Mr. Blair.
Blair blindly followed Bush into a war, knowing that the substance of the CIA allegations against Saddam Hussein were based on fiction and not fact and Blair subsequently followed Bush into a war knowing that the war was illegal in law. Blair also supported Bush into a regime of illegal detentions, breaches of the Geneva Convention and other International Laws and Conventions.
Experts now say that Blair is a candidate for having charges brought against him, should the International Criminal Court ever have the courage to lay charges.
These days, Blair is supposed to be a mediator in matters related to the Middle East, a job that he is doing very badly I might add.
Now we get to little Johnny Howard.
Howard also followed Bush into Iraq, hence his nickname Johnny Me-Too and the same allegations apply to him as they do to Tony Blair. In Howard's case there are added allegations.
Charges of breaching Laws of the Sea conventions in relation to the Tampa affair could be brought.
Charges of allowing the Australians to by-pass a vessel in distress subsequently drowning the vessel's passengers and crew are relevant.
Charges related of illegal detention of asylum-seekers could be brought as well as charges in relation to the holding of children in detention.
One can add illegal deportation of Australian citizens, illegal detention of Australian citizens and the list goes on.
Now for the allegations against Bush.
Bush started an illegal war based on nonsense intelligence. He occupied Iraq illegally costing thousands of US and Iraqi lives in the process. Bush failed to abide by the Geneva Convention in relation to captured and held POWs.
The transporting of persons unspecified from places such as Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan to Guantanamo was illegal as was the detention of the people held there.
The process was known as extraordinary rendition. The handing over of those captured as to facilitate abuse was illegal as was the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo.
Bush must answer for the fact that the CIA was operating prisons in foreign locations during his tenure.
Bush also failed to ensure that all human rights provisions in relation to prisoners held in Iraq were complied with.
Bush has a lot to answer for in International Law terms.
Now we get to the fineries.
Evidence against all three people is more than solid and sound, it is in fact overwhelming.
The ICC now needs to get off its backside and start charging people. There is no case in terms of justifying delays in prosecuting these three as there is ample evidence as well as a large number of witnesses.
The US did not sign up to the ICC process but the US has no jurisdiction as to who might be charged should the accused person decide to travel overseas.
The ICC and the UN must now decided if it wants to chase up little tin-pot dictators or if it wants to go chasing some real abusers of international and humanitarian laws.
If it fails to investigate and prosecute these three the ICC might as well pack up and go home.
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