Desmond Tutu wants Tony Blair and George w. Bush tossed into the prisoners' dock before the International Criminal Court. The Archbishop wants the pair tried for the invasion of Iraq.
Tutu, a Nobel peace prize winner and hero of the anti-apartheid movement, accuses the former British and US leaders of lying about weapons of mass destruction and says the invasion left the world more destabilised and divided "than any other conflict in history".
Writing in the Observer, Tutu also suggests the controversial US and UK-led action to oust Saddam Hussein in 2003 created the backdrop for the civil war in Syria and a possible wider Middle East conflict involving Iran.
"The then leaders of the United States and Great Britain," Tutu argues, "fabricated the grounds to behave like playground bullies and drive us further apart. They have driven us to the edge of a precipice where we now stand – with the spectre of Syria and Iran before us."
But it is Tutu's call for Blair and Bush to face justice in The Hague that is most startling. Claiming that different standards appear to be set for prosecuting African leaders and western ones, he says the death toll during and after the Iraq conflict is sufficient on its own for Blair and Bush to be tried at the ICC.
"On these grounds, alone, in a consistent world, those responsible for this suffering and loss of life should be treading the same path as some of their African and Asian peers who have been made to answer for their actions in The Hague," he says.
Unfortunately the noble Archbishop doesn't get the doctrine of "victors' justice" that guarantees the world will have to do a considerable degree of changing before any head of state of countries like the U.S. or Britain will be standing before the International Court of Justice.
For his part, Tony Blair, wasted no time responding.
In a statement, Blair strongly contested Tutu's views and said Iraq was now a more prosperous country than it had been under Saddam Hussein. "I have a great respect for Archbishop Tutu's fight against apartheid – where we were on the same side of the argument – but to repeat the old canard that we lied about the intelligence is completely wrong as every single independent analysis of the evidence has shown.
Yeah, sure, Tony.
Tony is imagining that he's been vindicated in the same way that the deluded, pompous lying prick believed in Saddam's WMDs.
ReplyDeleteLuis Moreno-Ocampo, ICC's Chief Prosecutor, has found Harper guilty of, stonewalling, covering up his crime of, the torture of the detainee's investigation. Harper's crimes are, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Harper prorogued Parliament, to lie and cheat his way out of his crime, as he does everything else. The last I heard, Harper's trial is still on.
ReplyDeleteIt is very true. America, Britain and Harper are permitted their, war crimes and crimes against humanity. All three country's are criminal.
Does Iran have the same WMD, as Iraq did? Or does Harper's favorite charity, big oil demand another war? They thrive on wars. If there is no war on, an excuse must be found to start one, such as WMD in Iraq. The other wars, are all lined up.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu says some great stuff. He was the one who pointed out that Gaza apartheid is worse than one which existed in South Africa. Now he has suggested that Bush and Blair should be brought before the International Court of Justice. Is there any chance that rest of the world pay attention to him? Does not look it. We live in an unjust world and nothing is going to change in the near future. It is survival of the strongest and ends justify the means.
ReplyDelete11:53 AM, September 02, 2012 comment by LeDaro.
ReplyDelete"but to repeat the old canard that we lied about the intelligence is completely wrong as every single independent analysis of the evidence has shown."
ReplyDeleteIf Tony Blair really believes this, I want some of whatever he has been smoking.........come on Tony, who's your connection?