Irish lawyers' petition demands Bush arrest on arrival

[emad]

Irish batten down hatches for Bush

US president's visit expected to provoke big demonstrations

Angelique Chrisafis, Ireland correspondent
Friday June 25, 2004
The Guardian

Snip

Every summer since the invention of the jet, Ireland has been invaded by Americans. The country of "a hundred thousand welcomes" regularly opens its arms to its transatlantic cousins, whose investment has fuelled its economic boom.

But this weekend's visit by George Bush, the US president, has turned tradition on its head. Irish lawyers have signed a petition against Mr Bush and suggested he should be arrested as soon as he arrives. Clerics have questioned the president's morals and the leader of the Irish senate has boycotted a US embassy dinner to mark his visit. Anti-war protesters say they are being censored by a government desperate to keep a lid on demonstrations. The terrorism risk has resulted in the biggest security operation in the country's history.

Such is the furore that Bertie Ahern, the Irish prime minister, wrote a newspaper column on Ireland's close ties with the US in an attempt to calm it all down.

Mr Bush arrives tonight at the picturesque 16th century Dromoland castle in County Clare. He will spend about 16 hours in Ireland, rising early on Saturday for an EU-US summit hosted by Mr Ahern as part of Ireland's EU presidency.

more:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1246844,00.html

[Jack Rabbit]

1. First, let's decide with what were charging him

I can think of a number charges he should answer. That's no real problem.

The problem is setting up a proper tribunal for allowing him to answer the charges and, if he is found guilty, a prison strong enough to hold him.

The 170 Irish lawyers who have called for his arrest aren't serious. That's too bad. Bush is the most dangerous man on earth. He is by temperament a tyrant who will let nothing stand in the way between him and his loot, whether that loot is the natural resources of Iraq or the power of the Presidency. Unlike Saddam, this tyrant really has weapons of mass destruction. Something serious needs to be done about him.

[emad]

2. Conspiracy to commit acts of terror; conspiracy to murder;

conspiracy to pervert the course of justice; conspiracy to suborn witnesses and jurors; conspiracy to steal and launder money:

All conspiracy to committ treason.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. Two things

First, do you want to write the bill of particulars to that? Let me be of some assistance. Here is the part of the Rome Statute for International Criminal Court that deals with specific crimes. Apply the law to what Mr. Bush has done. You may also like to include the Charter of the United Nations, which (in my view) renders the invasion of Iraq illegal because there was neither an immediate threat to the invading nation from the invaded state nor sanction from the Security Council to go to war. Let us not forget the Convention against Torture.

While the US hasn't signed on to the Rome Statute, it is based on older bodies of international law, including the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions, to which the US is party and is bound.

Like I said, that part is easy.

The hard part is getting serious about it. It's time we did.

Let's begin by calling for the impeachment and removal of Mr. Bush and his neoconservative aides, including Mr. Cheney, from offices they really aren't entitled to hold for these high crimes and misdemeanors, which are in violation of treaties to which the United States is bound and of the Supreme Law of the Land clause of Article VI of the Constitution. After their removal, they should be prosecuted in federal court under acts of Congress such as the War Crimes Act of 1996.

If Congress is unwilling to impeach and remove or the government is unwilling or unable to prosecute, then an international tribunal should be convened for the purpose of holding these people accountable for their misdeeds. If it comes to that, we should express our willingness to support Interpol in the apprehension of the criminal suspects and to support the right of international tribunals to hear the case against them.

That's what I mean by getting serious.

[emad]

10. I was thinking about his personal criminal past which, in the UK,

is still covered up by the UK Official Secrets Act. The menu on the charge sheet reads rape and torture of male and female minors in the UK (1967 - 1972); theft of property, money laundering and conspiracy to pervert the course of jutice; suborning of witnesses and juries of those children who testified against him in the paedophile law suit brough against him by UK police. Add to that attempted murder of the principal witness against him; hiring bomb makers and bankrolling their alibis; blackmailing UK politicians to gag and effectually erase all criminal records of his past.

[Jack Rabbit]

11. Very interesting

I was unaware that Mr. Bush had enough of a past in Britain that he may have so seriously violated the law there. Perhaps you could fill us in on some details.

In any case, even the Manson murders are petty crimes compared to torture, waging unjustified wars of aggression, collective punishment against protected persons in occupied territory and seizing the national assets of an occupied country and selling them to private parties.

[emad]

12. He raped a young girl; she's now married to a member of the

Truman family. The lawyers have all the documents. Thatcher, Major and Blair have all gagged them being published by putting a "D" notice on them - Official Secrets Act gag stopping the media ever publishing this on the grounds of "national security". The Trumans are brining out a book at the end of this month though. Should be interesting.

[gatlingforme]

14. That is interesting but I am not surprised. Could you post when

the book comes out. I will be looking for it in the papers... Thanks

[emad]

24. Will do! Expect it will make quite a splash in the media..

Can't see it getting throttled out of the way...

[playahata1]

18. Would UK law apply in this instance, though?

Ireland is an INDEPENDENT country -- has been since 1921 -- not part of the UK or the British Commonwealth.

[emad]

23. Northern Ireland is part of the UK.

Don't know if the Ulster Agreement might apply.

[pinniped]

3. Crimes against humanity.

POS * and his entire gang of thugs need to be tried.

[Jack Rabbit]

8. See post 7

I set you the same task.

[dand]

4. Get ready for a warning about Irish WMDs

and an Irish link to Ben Laden, do these people have oil?

[molly]

5. Which US cable network will cover this?

:shrug:

[Baltimoreboy]

6. This is silly

You must be kidding. Ireland's not ready to fight a war with the U.S. kidnapping Bush.

[average_american]

9. Soon he might not be able to go anywhere

The UN threw out the proposal for a resolution resolving the US from any liability for war crimes.

If the international community pushes it, we may see him in the Hague yet.

[Pale_Rider]

13. Off to Mountjoy Prison ...

... with Georgie Bushy.

[Southsideirish]

17. My Dad was a prisoner at Mount Joy in the '20's.

[Dover]

15. What is Bush's purpose for going to Ireland in the first place?

It certainly can't be for photo-ops. And I don't think they serve 'near-beer' in the pubs. Doesn't sound like the luck of the Irish will be with him.........so why go?

[Geo55]

16. Unfortunately

He'll be in his standard "media cocoon"....let's see how much the protests get covered.

[jukes]

19. great thread!

so...







:kick:

[Bandit]

20. I know let's bomb Ireland

We never liked them Irish here anyway. D'oh isn't this Frei Republik

[AlFrankenFan]

21. Makes me proud to be Irish!

n/t

[Buns_of_Fire]

22. Yo, I've got US$50 here I'll chip in for bail money...

...with one slight wrinkle -- the authorities in Ireland only get the money if they KEEP him there. (Barring that, maybe we could just close the borders of the U.S. as soon as he's out of sight and not let him back in. You know, under the precept of banning confirmed international twits and all that. Or at least force him to undergo a complete codpiece search for any WMDs he might be trying to smuggle in...)