Torture's now legal so Bush restores mil. training to 21 barred countries

[elehhhhna]

Bush waiver restores military training to 21 countries that had been barred
North County Times ^ | 3 OCT 2006 | GEORGE GEDDA


Posted on 10/03/2006 5:22:55 AM PDT by radar101


Twenty-one countries that had been denied participation in U.S. military training programs are now eligible to take part again under a presidential waiver announced Monday by the White House.

All 21 had run afoul of the Bush administration and U.S. law by refusing to sign an agreement with the United States that would exempt Americans from prosecution by the International Criminal Court.

The administration has taken a tough line against the ICC since its creation in 2002 out of concern that Americans overseas, including military personnel, diplomats and ordinary citizens, could be subject to politically motivated ICC prosecutions.

The following countries are affected by the waiver: Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, Kenya, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Namibia, Niger, Paraguay, Peru, Samoa, Serbia, South Africa, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tanzania, Trinidad and Uruguay.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/10/03/military/11_01_4410_2_06.txt

[tocqueville]

1. sorry, but I fail to see the relation between the two events

All these countries (and there are others - under different forms) haven't changed their position towards the US in case a US citizen was prosecuted on their territory.

So the fact that the US makes torture "legal" isn't relevant, it's only a US internal affair.

The probable main reason for the lifting of the ban is the need to sell more material and the urge of putting more US personal in some places, specially Latin America.

[elehhhhna]

2. We HAVE continued to sell materiel to them...just not trained them, as

they refused to sign a waiver pre-exhonerating us from International prosecution for war crimes. Now that we've blessed torture, it's not an issue anymore.

[tocqueville]

4. still don't see the logic

if Brazil wants to arrest a US war criminal it's easier for them now, since he could be present on their territory. The guy can't defend himself by saying "hey, it's legal where I come from !". US law applies in the US, not internationally even if the neocons tend to believe it is the case.

[malaise]

3. Your OP is not clear

Bush can do what he wants. Those countries have made it clear that they will not exempt American war criminals and will send them to the Hague. Of course they can expect to be bombed to oblivion.