This article belongs to And That's the Way It Is column.
The evidence provided by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to a UK inquiry may have taken him six hours to provide but it will take him the rest of his miserable life to live down the consequences of his actions - actions that, to me, are much less admirable than what the British public would have and should have expected from a British Prime Minister.
The evidence thus, the inquiry is ongoing, shows Blair was advised the Iraq war was illegal and he ignored that advice. It also shows that the military hastily dispatched to Iraq were badly equipped, a scenario that appears to have repeated itself in Afghanistan. It shows Blair promised George Bush, the second war crimes suspect, to support any American invasion of Iraq and that, together with the third war crimes suspect, Australia's John Howard, the three so-called leaders engaged in a regime of deception in relation to weapons of mass destruction that did not exist, so leading the three countries, the US, UK and Australia, into a war the citizens of those countries did not want or support.
The subsequent events in Iraq have more than proven that the three countries, the US, UK and Australia, failed in their duties and responsibilities as occupying powers under international law and that the Iraqis are, these days, no better off than what they were before, despite the subsequent loss of thousands upon thousands of innocent lives of men, women and children.
The case against Blair, Howard and Bush is becoming more compelling as times goes on and the evidence of Blair and others before the inquiry thus far proves that all three accused have a compelling case to answer.
In fact, the evidence is now enough to issue arrest warrants and gain convictions beyond reasonable doubt against the three on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, breaching the Geneva Convention and breaches of the Laws of War.
The British inquiry is ongoing and the findings will no doubt be released but in terms of international legal proceeding, there already is enough evidence to proceed against all three men. It now remains to be seen though if the International Criminal Court (ICC) has enough guts and will-power to proceed but given the gutless performance against major offenders, they only pick on the vulnerable ones. It also remains to be seen if any of this grubby trio as well the likes of Rumsfeld and Cheney, remember them, will ever be convicted.
Certainly the time has come for those within the ICC to either show some willingness to prosecute and convict or else go home to mum, or go and play golf as if nothing has happened. No doubt human rights organisations and others such as the ILCF will show more leadership than does the ICC by applying and issuing arrest warrants.
Time has indeed come for those responsible for war and other crimes to be held accountable.
And like it or not.
My name is Henk Luf.
And that's the way it is.
The evidence thus, the inquiry is ongoing, shows Blair was advised the Iraq war was illegal and he ignored that advice. It also shows that the military hastily dispatched to Iraq were badly equipped, a scenario that appears to have repeated itself in Afghanistan. It shows Blair promised George Bush, the second war crimes suspect, to support any American invasion of Iraq and that, together with the third war crimes suspect, Australia's John Howard, the three so-called leaders engaged in a regime of deception in relation to weapons of mass destruction that did not exist, so leading the three countries, the US, UK and Australia, into a war the citizens of those countries did not want or support.
The subsequent events in Iraq have more than proven that the three countries, the US, UK and Australia, failed in their duties and responsibilities as occupying powers under international law and that the Iraqis are, these days, no better off than what they were before, despite the subsequent loss of thousands upon thousands of innocent lives of men, women and children.
The case against Blair, Howard and Bush is becoming more compelling as times goes on and the evidence of Blair and others before the inquiry thus far proves that all three accused have a compelling case to answer.
In fact, the evidence is now enough to issue arrest warrants and gain convictions beyond reasonable doubt against the three on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, breaching the Geneva Convention and breaches of the Laws of War.
The British inquiry is ongoing and the findings will no doubt be released but in terms of international legal proceeding, there already is enough evidence to proceed against all three men. It now remains to be seen though if the International Criminal Court (ICC) has enough guts and will-power to proceed but given the gutless performance against major offenders, they only pick on the vulnerable ones. It also remains to be seen if any of this grubby trio as well the likes of Rumsfeld and Cheney, remember them, will ever be convicted.
Certainly the time has come for those within the ICC to either show some willingness to prosecute and convict or else go home to mum, or go and play golf as if nothing has happened. No doubt human rights organisations and others such as the ILCF will show more leadership than does the ICC by applying and issuing arrest warrants.
Time has indeed come for those responsible for war and other crimes to be held accountable.
And like it or not.
My name is Henk Luf.
And that's the way it is.
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