With Australia's John Howard and Britain's Tony Blair now out of office and George Bush starting to count his final days as US President, human rights and other international law organisations are beginning to line-up with submissions to the International Criminal Court to have George Bush, Tony Blair and John Howard charged with various international law offences that include Crimes Against Humanity, breaches of the Geneva Convention, Laws of War as well as breaches of numerous other international laws and conventions.
While most of the allegations relate to the illegal invasion of Iraq, a substantial number of other allegations concern the illegal activities of the various intelligence agencies including the CIA at the behest of the US, British and the Australian Governments.
The allegations against George Bush are numerous and they include the same allegations against Secretary of State Rice and former Secretary of Defence Rumsfeld.
They include allegations of knowingly conducting an illegal invasion of an independent State that State being Iraq following which the US, and its two allies Britain and Australia, knowingly failed to comply with the articles of conduct in relation to the duties and responsibilities of an occupying power.
The US and its allies knowingly failed to comply with the articles of the Geneva Convention in relation to its occupation of Iraq and the US and its allies knowingly failed to comply with the international Articles of War. The US and its allies knowingly failed to ensure that the civilian population of Iraq were properly protected and the US and its allies failed to ensure that prisoners and detainees held by the occupying powers were adequately protected, an action that resulted in major human right abuses inflicted upon such detainees by the US military. As the US, the UK and Australia were the occupying powers in Iraq, the said allegations in relation to Iraq apply to Tony Blair and John Howard as well George Bush.
The allegations against George Bush are added to in relation to the illegal detention of a number of persons at Guantanamo Bay. US authority over Guantanamo Bay is not recognised by Cuba and as the detention facility is external to US judicial authority, the lawful judicial power in relation to the detainees is in fact Cuba, not the US military, nor anyone else for that matter.
The US had and still has a policy of 'extraordinary rendition', a practice that is still taking place despite the fact that such practices are regarded as illegal under international law provisions. Flights carrying US detainees have been recorded on flight date, such flight being conducted between and through the various countries and their airports with such countries being notified of the contents of the aircraft involved. The US Government still carries out the practice of 'water-boarding', a practice deemed illegal under international law.
All of the alleged illegal practices were approved by George Bush upon being proposed and carried out under the instruction of then Secretary Rumsfeld.
Apart from the allegations in relation to the invasion of Iraq, the case against Australia's John Howard includes further allegations. They include human rights breaches in relation to the illegal detention of asylum seekers, including the illegal detention of children.
They also include breaches of international maritime laws in relation to a vessel named 'Tampa' which was illegally 'boarded' by the Australian military. Maritime breaches also include the towing out to international waters of a vessel on which the occupants had clearly stated that they were refugees and asylum seekers. When one examines the various articles of International Law one can only come to the conclusion that Australia's so-called 'Pacific Solution' policy was and still is illegal. The above-mentioned actions were approved and instructed by John Howard as the then Australian Prime Minister.
The cases against these three individuals are very clear in terms of international law compliance and events have more than proved that the breaches by the three individuals were carried out knowing that they breached international law, the Geneva Convention, Human Rights Laws and a host of other international conventions.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) through its prosecutors now has a duty to investigate, prosecute and then bring the three individual to account before the ICC.
Impossible dream, do I hear you say?
Not really, as there are too many organisations, individuals and even countries that are currently looking at the scenario of hauling these three people before a court as to account for their actions.
We can only hope.
