Should Canada indict Bush?

[narc]

When U.S. President George W. Bush arrives in Ottawa — probably later this year — should he be welcomed? Or should he be charged with war crimes?

It's an interesting question. On the face of it, Bush seems a perfect candidate for prosecution under Canada's Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Act.

This act was passed in 2000 to bring Canada's ineffectual laws in line with the rules of the new International Criminal Court. While never tested, it lays out sweeping categories under which a foreign leader like Bush could face arrest.

In particular, it holds that anyone who commits a war crime, even outside Canada, may be prosecuted by our courts. What is a war crime? According to the statute, it is any conduct defined as such by "customary international law" or by conventions that Canada has adopted.

War crimes also specifically include any breach of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, such as torture, degradation, wilfully depriving prisoners of war of their rights "to a fair and regular trial," launching attacks "in the knowledge that such attacks will cause incidental loss of life or injury to civilians" and deportation of persons from an area under occupation.

Outside of one well-publicized (and quickly squelched) attempt in Belgium, no one has tried to formally indict Bush. But both Oxfam International and the U.S. group Human Rights Watch have warned that some of the actions undertaken by the U.S. and its allies, particularly in Iraq, may fall under the war crime rubric.

The case for the prosecution looks quite promising. First, there is the fact of the Iraq war itself. After 1945, Allied tribunals in Nuremberg and Tokyo — in an astonishing precedent — ruled that states no longer had the unfettered right to invade other countries and that leaders who started such conflicts could be tried for waging illegal war.

Concurrently, the new United Nations outlawed all aggressive wars except those authorized by its Security Council.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Con...l=968350116795

[dapimpstress]

charged with war crimes.

[Senior]

As HIGHLY unlikely as that is of happening Bush is by the law guilty of war crimes. Fortunately for him he would have the right to a lawyer and a fair trial. Come to think of it maybe he should look into the concept.

[Ragga_Wh0re]

Paul Martin&George Bush are buddies.
Theres NO WAY that Bush would ever be indicted for war crimes, Its a nice idea and all,and anyone with half a brain can see that Bush and his henchmen have carried out these acts.

But realistically,it`ll never happen.
And we have Paul Martin to thank for that!

[automatic]

the interesting thing is that it would make no difference if paul martin and bush are buddies, it wouldn't be up to the government to make that call. if a private citizen were to bring a well documented case backed up with hard evidence to the rcmp they would be obligated (*eventually) to begin an investigation and present the results to a district attorney, or possibly the attorney general, who would then decide whether to proceed with the laying of charges (extremely unlikely, unless by some chance the world/us media both picks up the story and are extremely sympathetic). what is more likely is that bush would be out of the country and back in the states before the rcmp decide whether the evidence warrants an investigation...and if bush decided to take a 10 year vacation in moose jaw i'm betting that the RCMP would take 10 years and a day to examine the evidence...

one man (make that "one evil bastard") who certainly WOULD be brought up on war crimes charges if he stepped outside of the U.S. to visit one of any number of countries around the world is henry kissinger

http://www.zpub.com/un/wanted-hkiss.html

[Ragga_Wh0re]

^that link doesnt work.

i know its not up to the government to make that call,but dontcha think paul martin would have a hand in on the outcome?Maybe im just paranoid,but last time I checked the Liberal party was crooked as fuck.

[meth0dical]

im sure it wouldnt be hard for paul martin to pull some strings to "straighten" things out

[Senior]

It's likely Kissinger's presidential pardon wouldn't mean much outside the US. What a scarey guy!

Originally Posted by automatic

the interesting thing is that it would make no difference if paul martin and bush are buddies, it wouldn't be up to the government to make that call. if a private citizen were to bring a well documented case backed up with hard evidence to the rcmp they would be obligated (*eventually) to begin an investigation and present the results to a district attorney, or possibly the attorney general, who would then decide whether to proceed with the laying of charges (extremely unlikely, unless by some chance the world/us media both picks up the story and are extremely sympathetic). what is more likely is that bush would be out of the country and back in the states before the rcmp decide whether the evidence warrants an investigation...and if bush decided to take a 10 year vacation in moose jaw i'm betting that the RCMP would take 10 years and a day to examine the evidence...

one man (make that "one evil bastard") who certainly WOULD be brought up on war crimes charges if he stepped outside of the U.S. to visit one of any number of countries around the world is henry kissinger

http://www.zpub.com/un/wanted-hkiss.html

[TheCooker]

Take him to the Hague! (however it's spelled)

[dabbler]

highly unlikely tho it is, it would be some seriously funny entertainment!!!

[dapimpstress]

Originally Posted by dabbler

highly unlikely tho it is, it would be some seriously funny entertainment!!!

not only funny but TIGHT also.

[G-Style]

Canada would not place GWB under arrest unless it had the support of the UN and then in that fact you'd have to take Tony Blair into custody as well and any leader of an allied country. This'll never happen because way too many polatics come into play and when you are dealing with this level of global impact there's way to much at risk. Relations between the US and Canada are dodgy as is this would dropit off the deep end. The fact of the matter is no matter how much the US doesn't like it they need us much more than we need them. We supply not only power but fresh drinking water which they have non of. Eventually the US is going to realize that they either stand up to the FREE trade bargining agreement or if I was in canadian goverment I'd slam the doors on them all together. Canadian economics are based in global share not jsut north american and we do most of our large scale buisness with Asia and Europe over the US. They need to do some work on their own shit before they start pointing fingers at other countries and telling them how to run a country cause if every country was run like the US we'd all be in a hell of alot of trouble. GWB is the devil in disguise who thinks the US should live and breath they way he wants instead of the way the people want. Sorry went a little off topic. Should he be arrested...yes.....Will he be arrrested...NO

[Senior]

Originally Posted by G-Style

Canada would not place GWB under arrest unless it had the support of the UN and then in that fact you'd have to take Tony Blair into custody as well and any leader of an allied country. This'll never happen because way too many polatics come into play and when you are dealing with this level of global impact there's way to much at risk. Relations between the US and Canada are dodgy as is this would dropit off the deep end. The fact of the matter is no matter how much the US doesn't like it they need us much more than we need them. We supply not only power but fresh drinking water which they have non of. Eventually the US is going to realize that they either stand up to the FREE trade bargining agreement or if I was in canadian goverment I'd slam the doors on them all together. Canadian economics are based in global share not jsut north american and we do most of our large scale buisness with Asia and Europe over the US. They need to do some work on their own shit before they start pointing fingers at other countries and telling them how to run a country cause if every country was run like the US we'd all be in a hell of alot of trouble. GWB is the devil in disguise who thinks the US should live and breath they way he wants instead of the way the people want. Sorry went a little off topic. Should he be arrested...yes.....Will he be arrrested...NO

Just one small detail? The US is Canada's largest trading partner. Our ecconomies are highly dependant on each other.

[G-Style]

Originally Posted by Senior

Just one small detail? The US is Canada's largest trading partner. Our ecconomies are highly dependant on each other.

That's actually not all true. Granted our financial systems are dependant on each other to some degree but what we are dependant on the US for can be obtained easily elsewhere in the world. The US would have a much harder time trying to obtain such things as fresh drinking water and power from other nations. I guess my point is that the American public and polaticians have taken Canada for granted for many many years and to be honest it's getting to be beyond a joke now. I mean seriously at what point in time did we give the american polaticians the right to discuss their opnion on our law making and policies. We have to as a nation look at whats best for us and fuck forget what the american machine thinks about it because in the end they are only thinking about whats good for them as they have proven time and time again they don't give a rats ass about us or our nation.

[Senior]

Originally Posted by G-Style

That's actually not all true.

Actually it is true. Canada's largest export market is the US. That makes us dependant on them. I'm not saying that we couldn't try to develop other markets but at this time they don't exist. Also Canada is just as dependant on the US for their money as they are for our resources. Any one remember how many people lost their jobs in BC when the soft wodd lumber dispute began and mills were shuting down every day?

It would be really cool to see the US freak out if we say cut off their electricity for one day, you know "oops what happened?" At the end of the day though we need their money and they need our resources. Really when it comes down to it who else would we sell our electricity to?

[G-Style]

The Canadian economy is based on almost a 50/50 deal. Granted the US holds 50% of our trade right now and the rest of the world holds 50% but at the end of the day redirecting resource sales isn't that hard to do. Yes it will take a few years to work out a few bugs but it has been done by other countries around the world.

[Senior]

Originally Posted by G-Style

The Canadian economy is based on almost a 50/50 deal. Granted the US holds 50% of our trade right now and the rest of the world holds 50% but at the end of the day redirecting resource sales isn't that hard to do. Yes it will take a few years to work out a few bugs but it has been done by other countries around the world.

Ever heard of NAFTA and the WTO?