The Indictment of the ICC
Anyone who thought the International Criminal Court (ICC) was going to be anymore apolitical than the UN Security Council, which is a tool for imperialist powers to starve, invade, occupy and oppress and commit all manner of war crimes under the pretext of international law, is too naive for words. It’s no surprise that Argentine Zionist Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has refused on the most spurious of grounds, to bring prosecutions against anyone for war crimes and genocide in Iraq or to prosecute anyone in the Israeli regime for it’s genocide and ethnic cleansing and war crimes against the Palestinians and Lebanese, all of which full squarely under its mandate, but in asking for an arrest warrant against President Omar al-Bashir on five counts of genocide, two counts of crimes against humanity, and two counts of war crimes, he surpassed himself in hypocrisy, political corruption and abuse of office. Not only does the ICC not have any jurisdiction in Sudan, Moreno-Ocampo could never prove a case of genocide against al-Bashir in front and independent and impartial tribunal, in the unlikely event that al-Bashir was arrested.
There was a genocide in Sudan, it was carried out by a British occupation force in the 1890s but the current Sudanese civil war is just that – a civil war – it’s not a genocide. And the civil war was instigated by the Fur, who have been armed supported and encouraged by Britain and America all the way. Britain has always had an interest in it’s former colony, especially since the discovery of oil, and it’s no secret that America and Israel are also keen to see the Sudan partitioned into states, so Israel and Ethiopia can dominate the Upper Nile region. The Arab League and the African Union have all blamed the Fur for the failure in the peace deals, Britain and America have encouraged them to reject the 2005 north-south peace agreement, to reignite the conflict and give the UN (America) a pretext to act. But when it became clear that Russia and China would use their vetoes at the Security Council, America found a new fondness for the ICC, which it has still refused to sign up to.
So Moreno-Ocampo, who has already proved his lack of integrity by refusing to prosecute war criminals like George Bush, Tony Blair, and Ehud Olmert, and withholding evidence helpful to the defence in the Congolese warlord, Thomas Lubanga prosecution, has sought the indictment of President al-Bashir on entirely bogus grounds. No one expects this trial to go ahead, it’s clearly an attempt once again to sabotage any peace deal in Sudan.
The African Union chairman responded by saying “If al-Bashir is indicted and taken, there will be a power vacuum in Sudan and that risks military coups and widespread anarchy reminiscent of what is happening in Iraq,” and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference issued a statement warning the indictment, “could seriously threaten the fragile peace in Darfur” but that’s what Britain, America and Israel want.
steph
amica
rob
@ antireptilian
China’s relationship with Sudan isn’t dependent on al-Bashir, so they won’t won’t block his arrest warrant before the Olympics and if they tabled a motion the transatlantic alliance would use their three vetoes.
@ heather
Clinton wanted America to sign up to it, even though he had could technically have been prosecuted for war crimes against Serbia if he did. He knew that was never going to happen – that is why the ICC is a bad idea – it was always going to be victor’s justice.
@ Alfie
I agree with you about more government never being a good idea. The problem with the ICC is that represents an abjuration of jurisdiction. Any state that signs up to it is signing away the civil rights and legal protections of their citizens but worse than that they are signing up to the judicial element of a world government.
America has been pressing for al-Bashir’s arrest, even though America doesn’t agree with the principle of the ICC. From Bush’s point of view the ICC isn’t a bad thing when it prosecutes people they don’t like.
@ Steph interesting post. Related but not fully -I’d love to know what China really thinks of all this . They benefit from a “stable” Sudan for sure but they have “hinted” on two occasions a willingness to secure there interests there.
I had questioned ,sort of anyway,(july 11th) the whole ICC v UN aspect of this. I wonder if it is a sign of things to come.I can’t agree that the US is a driver of this actually for some of the points you included. I really ddo wonder in the “post American World” if there is a clash of NGO’s,UN,EU/Hague kind of thing coming. Along some of that I ‘d agree with antireptilian comments.
@heather more government or power brokers etc is never a good idea.
I suppose Moreno-Ocampo’s got a good reason for not prosecuting Maryam Rajavi with genocide and war crimes?
I forgot to mention the old British imperialist methodology of creating, funding and energising two warring factions that will beat each other to death while the profits are sucked from the target country. The locals will see the factions as destructive, and look to the real invader as the saviour and bringer of stability. This also provides a valid excuse for troop deployment
The old divide and conquer.
The New World Order requires an example of “justice” from the ICC in order to ratify it’s mission and existence. Dafur has been a pogrom since the discovery of oil. The genocide began when the tribal leaders wanted profits from the oil revenues to enrich their people. This was not unreasonable at all, but the Sudanese government, acting on behalf of the oil men decided to force them from the land through force and terror.
On and on this has gone (geez, im a poet and didn’t know it)
despite calls from relief agencies and monitors. Not a whisper. Within the last few days we have seen massive coverage of this issue through the mainstream media. This indicates that the UN will send a force to take possesion of the oil rich region…. Umm i mean, help the poor africans.
The ICC have formed the justification, and no doubt, lucrative contracts are on the cards as the “sponsors” jostle for profits.
What then of the Chinese interest in the region?
I thought the ICC was a great idea at first but I think you’re right, it hasn’t done anything to stop Bush and the Israelis. I don’t know much about Sudan but it’s not fair that he should be indicted and Bush, Cheney, Blair and Olmert haven’t. They are the real war criminals.