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Dear Chief Prosecutor
An Open Letter to Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
Information and Evidence Unit
Office of the Prosecutor
Post Office Box 19519
2500 CM The Hague
The Netherlands
Fax: +31 70 515 8555
Email: otp.informationdesk@icc-cpi.int
July 15, 2008
Dear Chief Prosecutor,
Congratulations on your request for an arrest warrant for the president of Sudan. When the rule of law cannot be justly enforced within a nation, it must be enforced internationally. In that regard, I would like to recommend that you seek an arrest warrant for the president of my nation, the United States of America. I have read your letter of February 9, 2006, in which you decline to seek prosecution of George W. Bush, and I believe new evidence compels another review.
With all due respect for the difficulty of your work, the case you have brought against the president of Sudan has followed quite different standards than those applied in your refusal to prosecute the president of the United States. In fact, you have refused to consider prosecution of George W. Bush because the United States is not a member of the International Criminal Court. But Sudan is also not a member of the International Criminal Court. Were you to consider the evidence of international crimes in Iraq as it exists today, and to consider the crimes committed on behalf of the president of the United States by members of the United States military and mercenaries employed by the United States, I believe you would find a case for prosecution that met the standards you applied, and applied well and admirably, to the president of Sudan.
While there is good reason to expect multiple prosecutions of George W. Bush and of his Vice President and top advisors by individual nations, the rule of law would benefit were the International Criminal Court to take the lead. Should it fail to do so, the entire idea of international law will suffer seriously. In the time since your 2006 letter, Judge Baltasar Garzón of Spain, on March 20, 2008, has written these words in El Pais:
"Breaking every international law, and under the pretext of the war against terror, there has taken place since 2003 a devastating attack on the rule of law and against the very essence of the international community. In its path, institutions such as the United Nations were left in tatters, from which it has not yet recovered....We should look more deeply into the possible criminal responsibility of the people who are, or were, responsible for this war and see whether there is sufficient evidence to make them answer for it....There is enough of an argument in 650,000 deaths for this investigation and inquiry to start without more delay."
You wrote in your 2006 letter that you cannot prosecute the crime of aggressive war but only the commission of war crimes that take place during a war, and that in 2009 it may become possible for you to prosecute the crime of aggression. While we must all strive to make that prosecution possible in 2009, it is not needed in order to prosecute George W. Bush, and his prosecution should not wait. As the Nuremberg Tribunal stated so well, "To initiate a war of aggression…is not only an international crime, it is the supreme international crime, differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." This has proven to be true in Iraq, and in Bush's global "war on terrorism", and there is no reason to delay prosecution for each separate element of the accumulated evil.
In order to prosecute crimes against humanity, you write that you need to identify "widespread or systemic attack directed against any civilian population." The civilian population of Iraq has suffered as a result of the US-led invasion and occupation in numbers and proportion that can only be called widespread and systemic. Iraqi deaths as a result of the invasion and occupation, measured above the high death rate under international sanctions preceding the attack, are estimated at 1.2 million by two independent sources (Just Foreign Policy's updated figure based on the Johns Hopkins / Lancet report, and the British polling company Opinion Research Business's estimate as of August 2007). According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of Iraqis who have fled their homes has reached 4.7 million. If these estimates are accurate, a total of nearly 6 million human beings have been displaced from their homes or killed. Many times that many have certainly been injured, traumatized, impoverished, and deprived of clean water and other basic needs.
In examining attacks on civilian populations, some specific incidents can be highlighted, not all of them occurring between March and May 2003, the period of time you referred to in your 2006 letter, and not all of them involving soldiers of the United Kingdom. It is necessary to examine the entire length of the US-led occupation, and to examine the crimes of US troops and mercenaries. Since May of 2005 I have collected evidence of these crimes on a website at http://afterdowningstreet.org A thoroughly documented October 2006 report posted there and prepared by Consumers for Peace (www.consumersforpeace.org) with the advice of Karen Parker, President of the Association of Humanitarian Lawyers (www.humanlaw.org) and Chief Delegate to the United Nations for the International Educational Development/Humanitarian Law Project (IED/AHL), will provide you with much useful evidence of crimes during the sieges of Fallujah, Samara, Tal Afar, and other cities, as well as systemic violations of the basic duties of an occupying power, and widespread illegal use of a variety of weapons. See: http://afterdowningstreet.org/warcrimesreport
*****
The above report, as many others, also makes the case that the killing of civilians in thousands of isolated incidents has been standard operating procedure for occupying forces in Iraq:
"One reason for the huge numbers of civilian casualties under the U.S. occupation is that U.S. soldiers have often behaved as if they have been told to shoot anything that moves. As noted in the Christian Science Monitor: 'The rules of engagement instruct U.S. soldiers to bring withering force to bear on positions they're attacked from, even when an insurgent ducks into a private house for cover'. However, many NGOs have attested that private homes and persons who are clearly civilians are attacked without any possible excuse that a particular attack was directed at insurgents....
"'One sergeant in northern Iraq puts it this way: "If someone runs into a house, we're going to light it up. If civilians get killed in there, that's a tragedy, but we're going to keep doing it and people are going to get the message that they should do whatever they can to keep these people out of their neighborhoods."'-- Dan Murphy, Christian Science Monitor....
"An attack on the small town of Baiji illustrates situations that have been repeated numerous times and on both larger and smaller scales. The following excerpts are taken from an article by Michael Schwartz, using reports from the New York Times and the Washington Post:
'In early January 2006, …a relatively small incident (not even worthy of front page coverage)…illustrated perfectly the capacity of the American military to kill uncounted thousands of Iraqi civilians each year.'
"Schwartz cited the Times account of what happened at Baiji, 150 miles north of Baghdad, on January 3. The account relied on U.S. officials who had stated:
"'A pilotless reconnaissance aircraft detected three men planting a roadside bomb about 9 p.m. The men "dug a hole following the common pattern of roadside bomb emplacement," the military said in a statement. "The individuals were assessed as posing a threat to Iraqi civilians and coalition forces, and the location of the three men was relayed to close air support pilots."
"'The men were tracked from the road site to a building nearby, which was then bombed with "precision guided munitions," the military said. The statement did not say whether a roadside bomb was later found at the site. An additional military statement said Navy F-14's had "strafed the target with 100 cannon rounds" and dropped one bomb."
"'Schwartz continues his narrative: The target was a "building nearby," identified by a drone aircraft as an enemy hiding place. According to eyewitness reports given to the Washington Post, the attack effectively demolished the building, and damaged six surrounding buildings. While in a perfect world, the surrounding buildings would have been unharmed, the reported amount of human damage in them (two people injured) suggests that, in this case at least, the claims of "precision" were at least fairly accurate.
"'The problem arises with what happened inside the targeted building, a house inhabited by a large Iraqi family. Piecing together the testimony of local residents, the Times reporter concluded that fourteen members of the family were in the house at the time of the attack and nine were killed.
"'Because in this case -- unlike in so many others in which American air power utilizes "precisely guided munitions" -- there was on-the-spot reporting for an American newspaper, the U.S. military command was required to explain these casualties. Without conceding that the deaths actually occurred, Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, director of the Coalition Press Information Center in Baghdad, commented: "We continue to see terrorists and insurgents using civilians in an attempt to shield themselves."
"'Notice that Lt. Col. Johnson (while not admitting that civilians had actually died) did assert U.S. policy: If suspected guerrillas use any building as a refuge, a full-scale attack on that structure is justified, even if the insurgents attempt to use civilians to "shield themselves." These are, in other words, essential U.S. rules of engagement. The attack should be "precise" only in the sense that planes and/or helicopter gunships should seek as best they can to avoid demolishing surrounding structures.'"
*****
A thoroughly documented Article of Impeachment introduced in the United States House of Representatives in June 2008 charges, in part:
"In the course of invading and occupying Iraq, the President, as Commander in Chief, has taken responsibility for the targeting of civilians, journalists, hospitals, and ambulances, use of antipersonnel weapons including cluster bombs in densely settled urban areas, the use of white phosphorous as a weapon, depleted uranium weapons, and the use of a new version of napalm found in Mark 77 firebombs. Under the direction of President George Bush the United States has engaged in collective punishment of Iraqi civilian populations, including but not limited to blocking roads, cutting electricity and water, destroying fuel stations, planting bombs in farm fields, demolishing houses, and plowing over orchards.
"Under the principle of 'command responsibility', i.e., that a de jure command can be civilian as well as military, and can apply to the policy command of heads of state, said command brings President George Bush within the reach of international criminal law under the Additional Protocol I of June 8, 1977 to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts, Article 86 (2). The United States is a state signatory to Additional Protocol I, on December 12, 1977.
"Furthermore, Article 85 (3) of said Protocol I defines as a grave breach making a civilian population or individual civilians the object of attacks. This offense, together with the principle of command responsibility, places President George Bush's conduct under the reach of the same law and principles described as the basis for war crimes prosecution at Nuremberg, under Article 6 of the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunals: including crimes against peace, violations of the laws and customs of war and crimes against humanity, similarly codified in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Articles 5 through 8."
See: http://afterdowningstreet.org/busharticleVIII
*****
Your 2006 letter explained that in your investigation of willful killing and inhumane treatment in Iraq you were able to find fewer than 20 victims. It would appear you were limiting your investigation to victims of British troops, if not limiting it in other ways as well. More than 20 victims of U.S. murder, torture, and inhumane treatment can be found in photographic evidence from Abu Ghraib prison alone.
According to the just released book "The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals," by Jane Mayer, a report by the International Committee of the Red Cross documents and describes what it concludes is unequivocally torture in widespread use by the United States in Iraq and elsewhere. Mayer reports that this Red Cross report has long been known to President Bush. Bush, of course, signed an order in February 2002 brushing aside the Geneva Conventions and authorizing the use of torture. The evidence of torture by US mercenaries and troops is extensive and includes the testimony of numerous victims and witnesses, photographs, and video.
Here are a few sources of information made public since your 2006 letter:
ACLU Announces Publication of Administration of Torture, a Groundbreaking Account of Prisoner Abuse in U.S. Custody Abroad
http://aclu.org/about/staff/administrationoftorture.html
FBI Details Possible Detainee Abuse
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/16890
Cheney's Leading Role in Torture
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/cheney
Uninvestigated Crimes: CIA Torture Flights Out of North Carolina
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/17997
Abu Ghraib: "Man In the Hood" provides testimony at War Crimes Conference
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/18337
New Light Shed on CIA's "Black Site" Prisons
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/19084
Aspects of Padilla's Treatment Confirmed
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/19085
What Happened to the Padilla Interrogation Videos?
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/19632
'We Were Torturing People For No Reason' -- A Soldier's Tale
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/20720
'Outsourced Guantanamo' - FBI & CIA Interrogating Detainees in Secret Ethiopian Jails, U.S. Citizen Among Those Held
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/20977
CIA Tortured Me in Iraq, Claims Freed Iranian Diplomat
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/20992
Photos of 'Tortured' Iraqi's Corpse Released
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/21391
Former Guantanamo Inmate Describes Interrogations
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/23719
Rumsfeld, Perjury, and Shoving Things Up Rectums
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/23721
Guantánamo Man’s Family Release 'Torture' Dossier
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/25717
CIA Detention Program Remains Active: U.S. Official
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/27486
Torture Victim Tells His Story to Congress
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/27876
Guantanamo Military Lawyer Breaks Ranks to Condemn "Unconscionable" Detention
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/28147
Dozens of 'Ghost Prisoners' Not Publicly Accounted For
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/28211
Torture Orders Came from Bush
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/28347
Flight Logs Reveal Secret Rendition
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/28955
Jordan's Spy Agency: Holding Cell for the CIA
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/29065
Former Chief Prosecutor for the Office of Military Commissions Resigned his Post
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/29300
Kiriakou: White House Approved Abuzabaydah's WaterBoarding
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/29335
*****
In fact, the evidence of crimes against humanity authorized and ordered by my president is overwhelming. Please allow me to recommend for your review just a few sources of information that have become public since your 2006 letter was written:
2007 May 4 United States Army Surgeon General's Report on Declining Morale and War Crimes
http://armymedicine.army.mil/news/mhat/mhat.html
US Attack on Iraqi Peace Parliamentarian
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/16887
US Electromagnetic Weapons and Human Rights
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/17011
'Shocking' video: Shi'a Iraqi soldiers beat Sunnis as US trainers watch
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/17779
Death Squads, American Style
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/17862
Fifth Marine Pleads Guilty in Murder of Innocent Man
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/18557
Jailed Two Years, Iraqi Tells of Abuse by Americans
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/18690
Coerced Labor Building Baghdad Embassy?
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/23182
Marine Told to Destroy Haditha Photos
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/23473
The Other War: Iraq Veterans Speak Out on Shocking Accounts of Attacks on Iraqi Civilians
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/24605
Marine Says Beatings Urged in Iraq
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/24762
Video: Marine on Hamdania Shooting
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/25661
U.S. Soldier Convicted of Beating Iraqi Detainee With Baseball Bat
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/25824
Marine Tells of Order to Execute Haditha Women and Children
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/26350
Documents Show Troops Disregarding Rules
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/26439
U.S. Aims To Lure Insurgents With ‘Bait’
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/27114
Soldier: Sergeant From N.C. Ordered Me to Shoot Unarmed Iraqi Man
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/27233
US Violating Chemical Weapons Convention in Iraq
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/28563
*****
I would, in particular, recommend for your review the first-person testimony of U.S. soldiers and Marines returned from Iraq:
http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier
*****
In your 2006 letter you suggest that the crimes, if they are to be prosecuted, must have been "committed as part of a plan or policy or as part of a large-scale commission of such crimes." I believe this can be well established for the war crimes authorized and ordered by the president of the United States in Iraq and elsewhere. Not only has it been U.S. policy to attack and to punish civilians, to arbitrarily detain, and to torture, but President George W. Bush has gone to great lengths to ensure that those obeying his illegal orders not be subject to prosecution. The question of whether U.S. mercenaries or soldiers will be subject to Iraqi law is a major sticking point in ongoing negotiations between Bush and Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki.
According to a thoroughly documented Article of Impeachment introduced against President Bush in the United States House of Representatives in June 2008, Bush has
"established policies granting United States government contractors and their employees in Iraq immunity from Iraqi law, U.S. law, and international law.
"Lewis Paul Bremer III, then-Director of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance for post-war Iraq, on June 27, 2004, issued Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 17, which granted members of the U.S. military, U.S. mercenaries, and other U.S. contractor employees immunity from Iraqi law.
"The Bush Administration has chosen not to apply the Uniform Code of Military Justice or United States law to mercenaries and other contractors employed by the United States government in Iraq.
"Operating free of Iraqi or U.S. law, mercenaries have killed many Iraqi civilians in a manner that observers have described as aggression and not as self-defense. Many U.S. contractors have also alleged that they have been the victims of aggression (in several cases of rape) by their fellow contract employees in Iraq. These charges have not been brought to trial, and in several cases the contracting companies and the U.S. State Department have worked together in attempting to cover them up.
"Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which the United States is party, and which under Article VI of the U.S. Constitution is therefore the supreme law of the United States, it is the responsibility of an occupying force to ensure the protection and human rights of the civilian population. The efforts of President Bush and his subordinates to attempt to establish a lawless zone in Iraq are in violation of the law."
See: http://afterdowningstreet.org/busharticleXV
*****
For documentation of crimes by U.S. mercenaries, please review these reports:
2007 Oct 11 UN Report on Blackwater and Other Mercenaries Killing Indiscriminately
http://uniraq.org/FileLib/misc/HR%20Report%20Apr%20Jun%202007%20EN.pdf
Blackwater Security Shot Iraqi Man
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/18363
CIA Mercenary Gets 8 Years for Beating a Prisoner to Death
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/18556
Blackwater Guards Killed 16 as U.S. Touted Progress
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/27244
FBI Admits Blackwater Mercenaries Murdered at Least 14 People
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/28704
*****
The crimes of George W. Bush are not limited to Iraq. For an excellent summary and extensive documentation of charges that he has authorized illegal detention, torture, and rendition to nations that torture, please see these three Articles of Impeachment:
http://afterdowningstreet.org/busharticleXVII
http://afterdowningstreet.org/busharticleXVIII
http://afterdowningstreet.org/busharticleXIX
*****
Thank you for your careful and impartial consideration and courage.
Sincerely,
David Swanson
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Dear Madam, Sir,
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Information and Evidence Unit
Office of the Prosecutor
International Criminal Court
Madame, Monsieur,
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Meilleures salutations.
Unité des informations et des éléments de preuve
Bureau du Procureur
Cour Pénale Internationale
Well done.
I would only like to point out that by promoting lies and propaganda as a pretext to threaten Iran's innocent civilians with nuclear weapons and targeting Iran's nuclear power facilities, Cheney and Bush are threatening the International Criminal Court itself with deadly radioactive fallout.
The fallout from this reckless attack of nuclear terrorism is a threat to all life forms in Europe, Eurasia and Asia Minor which includes several sovereign nations who are members of the International Criminal Court.
Your efforts will not be in vain and I stand with you. Never before in United States history has there been such a brazen, nefarious assault against our Democratic Republic like this. And the international criminals are still trying to hide behind our flag as they continue to obscenely enrich themselves. They lie so much that even they can no longer keep track of their lies.
Any assault against our Constitution and Bill of Rights is an act of war against every single American man, woman and child. Any member of the Executive Branch, House of Representatives, United States Senate, Supreme Court, Department of Justice or presidential candidate who supports such assaults needs to be charged with treason, removed from public office and prosecuted.
May I copy parts of your letter in my address to the International Criminal Court? I have never asked anyone this before. Your letter to the International Criminal Court is the most well written that I have read regarding our national crisis that I have ever seen.
Thank you.
Steven "apparition".
copy anything!
I still sometimes forget that we are in the midst of probably the most serious constitutional crisis in the history of our country and we are fighting for our way of life. I am truly sad that we must send these letters to an international court about an American president but I will. I will also use some of your material in my letter David, so thank you. Are you attending the VFP convention in MN this year? Michael Perkins MFSO-MN
I'm not a vet but I'm for peace
An INCREDIBLY well-documented and comprehensive letter. Thank you for ALL the efforts you put forth in the name of The Constitution, America, and it's people. I would hope that someday you might consider running for office. BUT, maybe you can accomplish more from outside the ring of fire.
Thank You, Again,
R.A. Brown
please write to the prosecutor
I wrote Conyers and Pelosi and cc'd the ICC prosecuter which gave me their auto-reply mail recv'd message.
Everyone please write them now.
:)
And you didn't even mention the deposing of the democratically elected president of Haiti, which included the killing of many Haitian civilians. The crimes of this administration are almost innumerable.
If the International Court is going to go after a small time thug who allows, aids and abets the killing of people in his own country, how much more should it go after a mass murderer who attacks other countries.
There should not be a double standard.
4Peace
This kind of affinity for detail is what it's going to take to bring these war criminals to justice.
IMPEACH BUSHCO & RICO PNAC/AIPAC>"OUT" ANTI-AMERICAN CABALS!
WE MUST DEFEAT MCCAIN!!! http://www.cafepress.com/bootthepnac
An Open Letter to Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
Information and Evidence Unit
Office of the Prosecutor
Post Office Box 19519
2500 CM The Hague
The Netherlands
Fax: +31 70 515 8555
Email: otp.informationdesk@icc-cpi.int
July 15, 2008
Dear Chief Prosecutor,
I write to you not as an attorney or legal scholar, but as a citizen of the United States and a citizen of the world. On February 15, 2203 as many as 30 million people in 800 cities, 60 countries, across the world demonstrated against President George Bush’s imminent invasion of Iraq. The Wikipedia site below, which gives a feel for the breadth of the protest by the entire world community which was horrified at what was about to take place. The scope of the protest was unprecedented and it was all done to stop a crime before it was committed. The world community knew that invading Iraq was a crime and it knew it in advance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_15%2C_2003_anti-war_protest
I write to inform you that we no longer have a functioning democratic republic in the United States. Even though President Bush and Vice President Cheney’s crimes are clear to so many of us in the peace and anti war community, our two major political parties are a cancer on our republic and choke out any dissent. We have basically a fascist country, where corporations and big business play the tunes, our Democratic and Republican Congressmen and Senators dance and we the people are shut out of the ball. Those of us, fortunate enough to get past the media/government propaganda, have called for a return to the rule of law under our Constitution and international law by impeaching both the President and his Vice President, but to no avail. Our two parties do not allow other players at their table.
I refer you to David Swanson’s letter to you on the same subject. In it he aptly documents the crimes this President and Vice President have committed.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/icc
The United States House Judiciary Committee Democratic Staff Report of 2005 states there is a prima facie case the Bush Administration broke 7 federal and international laws in the run up to invading Iraq.
Executive Summary of House Judiciary Committee Minority Report
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/House_Judiciary_Democrats_issue_report_all...
“This Minority Report has been produced at the request of Representative John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee. He made this request in the wake of the President’s failure to respond to a letter submitted by 122 Members of Congress and more than 500,000 Americans in July of this year asking him whether the assertions set forth in the Downing Street Minutes were accurate. Mr. Conyers asked staff, by year end 2005, to review the available information concerning possible misconduct by the Bush Administration in the run up to the Iraq War and post-invasion statements and actions, and to develop legal conclusions and make legislative and other recommendations to him.
In brief, we have found that there is substantial evidence the President, the Vice President and other high ranking members of the Bush Administration misled Congress and the American people regarding the decision to go to war with Iraq; misstated and manipulated intelligence information regarding the justification for such war; countenanced torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and other legal violations in Iraq; and permitted inappropriate retaliation against critics of their Administration.
There is at least a prima facie case that these actions by the President, Vice-President and other members of the Bush Administration violate a number of federal laws, including (1) Committing a Fraud against the United States; (2) Making False Statements to Congress; (3) The War Powers Resolution; (4) Misuse of Government Funds; (5) federal laws and international treaties prohibiting torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment; (6) federal laws concerning retaliating against witnesses and other individuals; and (7) federal laws and regulations concerning leaking and other misuse of intelligence.
While these charges clearly rise to the level of impeachable misconduct, because the Bush Administration and the Republican-controlled Congress have blocked the ability of Members to obtain information directly from the Administration concerning these matters or responding to these charges, more investigatory authority is needed before recommendations can be made regarding specific Articles of Impeachment. As a result, we recommend that Congress establish a select committee with subpoena authority to investigate the misconduct of the Bush Administration with regard to the Iraq war detailed in this Report and report to the Committee on the Judiciary on possible impeachable offenses.”
Lies by the Hundreds
The Center for Public Integrity documents 935 lies by the President and his Administration in the run up to the Iraq invasion and occupation. http://projects.publicintegrity.org/WarCard/?gclid=CNWg4-PzwpQCFQfNIgod-...
Impeachment off the Table
The Democratic Party swept into office with a mandate from the American people to stop the Bush Administration’s policies and end the military occupation of Iraq instead opted to play politics and allow the President the funding to continue his occupation. The Democratic Party chose not to hold the President and Administration accountable as the new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stated “impeachment is off the table.” A staggering 67% of American voters believe that the President has committed impeachable offenses. They are almost equally divided on whether or not he should be impeached. 74% of American voters believe the Vice President has committed impeachable offenses and 61% say he should be impeached and removed from office. All this with almost no prominent politicians calling for it and scant coverage in the main stream media.
http://americanresearchgroup.com/impeach/
The Waxman Letter of March 17, 2003
This is important because it is incontrovertible proof that the President was informed before he invaded Iraq, that the intelligence he was using to justify his invasion was severely questioned by a member of Congress. The President did not even choose to respond to Congressman Waxman’s letter delivered two days before the war. The Valerie Plame affair was further evidence that the reason for war was questioned before the fact and ignored by the President and his Administration.
http://www.house.gov/waxman/text/admin_iraq_march_17_let.htm
On March 17, 2003, two days before the invasion of Iraq Congressman Henry Waxman delivered a letter to President Bush.
“I am writing regarding a matter of grave concern. Upon your order, our armed forces will soon initiate the first preemptive war in our nation’s history. The most persuasive justification for this war is that we must act to prevent Iraq from developing nuclear weapons.
In the last ten days, however it has become incontrovertibly clear that a key piece of evidence that you and other Administration officials have cited regarding Iraq’s efforts to obtain nuclear weapons is a hoax. What’s more, the Central Intelligence Agency questioned the veracity of the evidence at the same time you and other Administration officials were citing it in public statements. This is a breach of the highest order, and the American people are entitled to know how it happened.
As you know, I voted for the congressional resolution condemning Iraq and authorizing the use of force. Despite serious misgivings, I supported the resolution because I believed congressional approval would significantly improve the likelihood of effective U.N. action. Equally important, I believed that you had access to reliable intelligence information that merited deference.
Like many other members, I was particularly influenced by your views about Iraq’s nuclear intentions. Although chemical and biological weapons can inflict casualties, no argument for attacking Iraq is as compelling as the possibility of Saddam Hussein brandishing nuclear bombs. That, obviously, is why the evidence in this area is so crucial, and why so many have looked to you for honest and credible information on Iraq’s nuclear capability.
The evidence in question is correspondence that indicates that Iraq sought to obtain nuclear material from an African country, Niger. For several months, this evidence has been a central part of the U.S. case against Iraq. On December 19, the State Department filed a response to Iraq’s disarmament declaration to the U.N. Security Council. The State Department response stated: ‘The Declaration ignores efforts to procure uranium from Niger.’ A month later, in your State of the Union address, you stated: ‘The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities or uranium from Africa.’ Defense Secretary Rumsfeld subsequently cited the evidence in briefing reporters.
It has now been conceded that this evidence was a forgery. On March 7, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, reported that the evidence that Iraq sought nuclear materials from Niger was ‘not authentic.’ As subsequent media accounts indicated, the evidence contained ‘crude errors,’ such as a ‘childlike signature’ and the use of stationary from a military government in Niger hat has been out of power for over a decade.
Even more troubling, however, the CIA, which has been aware of this information since 2001, has never regarded the evidence as reliable. The implications of this fact are profound: it means that a key part of the case you have been building against Iraq is evidence that your own intelligence experts at the Central Intelligence Agency do not believe is credible.
It is hard to imagine how this situation could have developed. The two most obvious explanations—knowing deception or unfathomable incompetence—both have immediate and serious implications. It is thus imperative that you address this matter without delay and provide an alternative explanation, if there is one.”
War of Aggression
The International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, which followed World War II called the waging of aggressive war "essentially an evil thing...to initiate a war of aggression...is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime, differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole."
Astonishing Criminality
Below is a mind numbing list of 369 scandals in the Bush Administration. While every one of them is not directly related to the President and his top Administration officials, most of them are and most of them are major scandals or incidents. We as citizens are completely overwhelmed by the astonishing criminality of our government.
http://www.netrootsmass.net/Hugh/Bush_list.html
Hugh’s List of Bush Scandals
Presently 369 and counting
War with Iran?
The United States which at one time held so much hope for the peoples of the world is now a country run by war criminals and without an opposition party. Even now our country is poised to attack Iran and, if we do, will in all probability do so without making all efforts (or any efforts for that matter) at negotiations as the U.N. Charter calls for. This will be a violation of international law. Also we are told that our military and CIA are conducting operations now in Iranian territory which again ua illegal and an act of war. Our Congress is promoting H.R. 362 a non-binding, bi-partisan resolution calling for a naval blockade of Iran, another act of war. And of course, if we do attack Iran, without U.N. Security Council approval (just like we did in Iraq), it will also be illegal and another war of aggression.
The U.S. corporate media refuses to inform our citizens of the great issues of the day. Without an informed citizenry, we are prey to propaganda of our government and said corporate media. “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be.” Thomas Jefferson
Let me close with another quote from Jefferson. "When once a republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil." Thomas Jefferson
I beseech the International Criminal Court to hold George Bush and Richard Cheney responsible for their war of aggression in Iraq and the subsequent deaths of 1,200,000 Iraqis and more than 4,100 U.S. service men and women. With the broken government in the U.S., your court is our last resort and the last resort of those who love the law and liberty across the globe. Please don’t fail us.
Sincerely,
Nick Egnatz
NW Indiana Veterans For Peace
Munster, IN 46321
A few thousand of those and we can go ahead and break out the handcuffs!
Has everybody written one?
As is yours, David. Working on mine. Could it be....
Conyers said he wants a public discussion of the issues being raised by Kucinich, but does not plan to take any action on the resolution. "We're not doing impeachment, but he can talk about it," the chairman said.
Pelosi/Conyers impeachment thing sounds like more PR, window dressing and bovine excrement. Too many innocent people are still being destroyed and their lies just get more ridiculous.
I will not be thanking Pelosi or Conyers until there is evidence of tangible action. At this point I can only thank them for their anticipated absence from any type of public office whatsoever.
Remember, these people have proven beyond a shadow of doubt that they are not worthy of being trusted by Americans and this is an election year for the most unpopular Congress in US history.
Cheney, Bush and members of Congress must now be warned that if there is another "terrorist attack" in the US we will not believe anything they say and they are being watched very closely.
Thank You.
After this dies back down, "should have Conyers" will be saying something like this:
"We are presently...investigating...royalty rights...for song writers from...American...I..dol.
"We...don't...have...time...for...im...peach...ment. Bush has stated...that god...told him...to invade...Iran. We are...scheduling...hear...ings..to in...vestigate this...assertion."
"Now, I have a plane to catch."
Sorry everyone, I am not trying to make sport but these people have jaded me.
Attorney General...
over 4,100 Americans soldiers were killed fighting George W. Bush's war in Iraq on "false pretenses", which are "unlawful deaths", each and every one, requiring that George W. Bush be "indicted" and "prosecuted" on "murder and conspiracy to commit murder" charges, as noted and documented by renowned prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi in his stunning, best selling true crime book "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder", Vanguard Press, VIDEO Link CLICK HERE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klYioEnpOk8
"The preferable venue for the prosecution of George W. Bush for murder and conspiracy to commit murder would be in the nation's capital, with the prosecutor being the Attorney General of the United States acting through his Department of Justice. This book, however, establishes jurisdiction for any state attorney general (or any district attorney in any county of a state) to bring murder and conspiracy charges against Bush for any soldiers from that state or county who lost their lives fighting Bush's war, which as you can see applies to every state in this nation", excerpt from "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder".
"Like rodents scurrying away from a sinking ship, I would be very confident that Cheney, Rice, and Rove would make the case against Bush, already very strong, air-tight. They probably could tell us things about Bush that would make our hair curl", excerpt from "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder".
In view of the above information, I implore you to investigate these charges, and if warranted, indict and prosecute George W. Bush accordingly.
John J. Coghlan
An excellent, and well researched letter, which makes for good reading, but that is about it. It will not have any influence on the world courts, in regard to the Bush Administration. The World is acting in the same way as our own Congress, for many of the same reasons.
I believe that our entire Congress is being blackmailed, and intimidated. Wire taping was going on before 9/11, and I think they have information on everybody. They have gathered the information to criminally indite, or at least destroy the political carriers, by revelations of wrongdoing, of any politicians they want. The anthrax letters sent to Democrats who were questioning the run up to war, sends a message to everyone, that they will not hesitate to kill you, if you get in their way. Anybody in the media who has given a good challenge to the Administration is presently out of work.
The 2003 the largest anti-war rally in history took place. People protested in approximately 800 cities around the world. Estimates of eight million to thirty million took part in protests in up to sixty countries over the weekend of the February 15Th and 16Th. The world was as apposed to this criminal, and barbaric invasion of Iraq, and Afghanistan as we were. The World Leaders did the same as our Congress,and our Media, they made believe that nothing out of the ordinary was happening, and it was just business as usual.
The Reagan, and Bush Administration were the ones who started the intimidation of other nations, and their leaders. The message went out, "Do as we say or we will flatten you." They bullied, intimated, or invaded, Granada, Panama, South America, Haiti, Mexico, and on and on. Most other nations are frightened of the United States. They fear unfavorable trade restrictions, military actions, and outright assignations of their leaders. Their biggest fear, is of the unknown. Just how far could these crazy people go, if provoked?
I think our only chance to save our nation from these thugs, is take charge of things at home. The World Courts will be happy to charge them with crimes against humanity, once they are out of power. We have an inactive Congress. May be we can make them active again. The Bush administration has just bullied Congress into passing a bill which will grant them and the corporations who helped them retroactive immunity from prosecution, for illegally spy on us. Why doesn't Congress do one for them self. If the Bush People have been gathering information illegally on members of Congress, Congress should pass a bill granting them self immunity from prosecution, on the grounds that the information was gathered for political, not judicial reasons. They could also put a gag order on the material so it will never be published. The president has been doing that, on a regular basis.
Attached is a letter that I sent to my Representative this morning.
Letter To Jerrold Nadler
Jul 15, 2008
Representative Jerrold Nadler
Independence Avenue and 1st Street, SW
Washington, DC 20515-3208
Dear Representative Nadler,
What does the Bush Administration have on you? I can not see any
other reason for your refusal to fully support the impeachment
of the the most criminal president in this nations history. If you are being blackmailed, so is everybody else. Bush's wire tap program was in effect before 9/11. I'm sure they have the goods on everybody. You must step forward and do what is best. People will forgive you, for your shortcomings. Don't be intimidated. Be a courageous person. Give your full support to impeachment. When the enormous list of crimes are rolled out, during impeachment hearings, what ever things the Bush Gang has on members of Congress, will be of little importance.
Sincerely,
Mr. John Coghlan
by Mr. John Coghlan and LanceCiepiela. Thank you.
Indeed there is a pattern of spying, lies and deceit. The bizarre behavior on Capital Hill is consistant with blackmail.
What really happened on September 11th, 2001 is crucial because it is the foundation for fascist tyranny. The “Bush administration’s” version of what happened on 9/11 is clearly a ridiculous lie, Bush consistently obstructs any meaningful investigations of it, the Solomon Brothers Building did not implode by itself, Newtonian Physics did not take a leave of abscence that day and evidence from the crime scene was deliberately destroyed.
Who had the motive, means and opportunity to commit the crime of the century and who has benefited?
There is only one “government” on this planet with access (through spying) to the protocols, logistics and moles necessary to infiltrate the most restricted airspace/air defense digital network systems on the planet for over 2 hours with complete impunity and corrupted enough to ally itself with corrupted “neoconservative” murderous liars.
ISRAELI MOSSAD.
They’re modus operandi demonstrates that they will do anything to protect Cheney/Bush from accountability of their war crimes in the Iraq Holocaust. The ruthless, arrogant, sloppy criminality and lies are perfectly consistent with the ruthless, sloppy attacks of 9/11.
ISRAEL BLACKMAILS AMERICA:
NUCLEAR WAR IS IMMINENT.
“PURE EVIL” Does A Deal With “THE DEVIL.”
PURE EVIL is DICK CHENEY.
THE DEVIL is THE ISRAELI MASSAD.
THE DEAL was 9/11.
Cheney perceived the perfect partner in the perfect crime of the century to be Israel’s Mossad. Cunning, ruthless, skilled, connected, covert - the “False Flag” experts.
As is now clear and agreed upon by all, the Bush Sr. / Cheney Administration (in which Shrub is merely a spokesperson and useful idiot) adopted the PNAC plan as its own. Cheney found within it the opportunity to capture vast resource-rich territory in a World War blamed on others, and thereby enrich himself and his friends.
9/11 proved not to be the perfect crime, and the co-conspirators actually got caught, and have been covering up their crime and silencing their “enemies” ever since.
Israel and Cheney were both caught red-handed on 9/11 itself.
Cheney was caught when Senator Norm Minetta walked in on him in the midst of barking out the "stand down" orders that allowed the A3 Skywarrior to strike the Pentagon without being shot down.
Israel’s Mossad was caught when their five agents were arrested after being observed celebrating and filming the impact and subsequent collapse of the Twin Towers. They weren’t just arrested, they had with them video taped evidence of themselves celebrating on camera as the towers fell (as would a demolitions team after a successful implosion). One of them had the temerity to hold a cigarette lighter in front of the camera smiling like a kid at a rock concert.
These events are factual. They occurred. The lengths to which the US, Israeli governments and disinformation media like "Fox News" have gone to bury these and other historic events are evidence of their complicity in 9/11.
Cheney was wrong to have selected Israel as any kind of partner in crime. Israel was not going to be content to share the spoils of war, Israel wants ALL the spoils of war, and now has at its disposal ALL of the tools and leverage to literally destroy the United States, and is in the midst of doing so right this very moment.
Why the silence from the Bush Administration with respect to Israel’s destruction and acquisition of territory? BLACKMAIL - plain and simple.
Through Abramoff, Franklin, Lieberman, Chertoff and their thousands of moles within the US Government, in concert with their vast network of installed monitoring software, data retrieval and listening devices, Israel has compromised virtually every Administration official AS WELL AS nearly every US Senator and Congressman.
Israel has evidence of all of them accepting bribes, because Israel was behind the bribes and recorded evidence of all of it. Israel has evidence of sexual escapades out of wedlock, because Israel arranged for it, and documented it. Israel has direct evidence of the Administrations role in 9/11, because Israel partnered in it. Israel controls the Mainstream US Media, and the Administration KNOWS IT. As we speak, Israel is threatening the administration with the total exposure of their role in 9/11 if they even begin to interfere with Israel’s plan to take out not just Lebanon, but also Syria AND Iran, using NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
The bombs that we are rushing to Israel at this very moment…the bunkerbusters to be delivered by the F-15s - are they nuclear?
If the US had any ACTUAL LEVERAGE or ability to slow down Israel’s mad territory grab, death machine and Mid East hegemony the least they would be doing is holding back delivery of bombs. As with EVERY member of the Bush Administration, Condaleeza Rice has no power whatsoever over Israel. They’re blackmailing her too. Israel has already accomplished its goal. It has completely compromised the integrity and security of the United States Of America. It is in total control of the US Treasury, Defense Department, Congress - every institution and branch of government.
The culture of corruption in Washington met its match with Israel. The co-conspirators thought they had an equal partner in crime, but they have now come to realize that this was a very long term and elaborate sting - for the ultimate prize - control of the United States Of America and its Nuclear Arsenal.
This is where we stand today. Literally everyone in Washington knows it. All of the retired Generals and Bush Senior advisors are on highest alert. The Bush Administration is in the midst of the biggest disaster ever conceived, and unless they do EVERYTHING that Israel demands, the evidence of their crimes will be plastered across every major newspaper in the United States.
The Administration knows for a fact that Israel is going to nuke Iran and Syria. The only choice the Administration has to stop Israel from nuking these two countries, is to Nuke Israel itself. Even this though will not prevent the Truth of 9/11 from being revealed.
CHECKMATE.
Nuclear war is coming either way, and its coming right now.
“The Crazies” as Colin Powell referred to the Zionists, have won - and he personally enabled it.
“President Bush said to all of us: ‘I’m driven with a mission from God. ‘God would tell me, ‘George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan’.” “And I did, and then God would tell me, ‘George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq…’ And I did.
Secretary of State Rice’s response to the disaster in New Orleans was: “The Lord Jesus Christ is going to come on time.” She added: “If we just wait.” “On time”? How does Rice know the exact time Armageddon starts? “If we just wait”? That means in her, that is our, lifetime!
“At Church one day [Tom DeLay, House Majority Leader] listened as the pastor declared that ‘the war between America and Iraq is the gateway to the Apocalypse.’ DeLay rose to speak, not only to the congregation but to 225 Christian TV and radio stations. ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he said, ‘what has been spoken here tonight is the truth of God.’”
LESS THAN ONE MONTH AFTER 9/11:
“Every time we do something you tell me America will do this and will do that . . . I want to tell you something very clear: Don’t worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it.” - Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, October 3, 2001, to Shimon Peres, as reported on Kol Yisrael radio.
YOU SAID AN A-3 WAS THE ACFT THAT HIT THE PENTIGON?
An A-3 SKYWARRIOR? Im not challanging this, im just suprised. I have nevr heard this claim before. From what source did this come from? Tell me more. Please.
For more information on the subject try these links:
BBC Photos Corroborate
A3 Skywarrior 9/11 Pentagon Hit
http://home.att.net/~south.tower/BBCA3photos1.htm
Plunger Speaks
everything you never wanted to know about 9/11 ... and more!
http://plungerspeaks.blogspot.com/
I also have a video in my email that clearly shows the A-3 Skywarrior crashing into the pentagon but I cannot find it. (The video came from Japan). I have asked a friend in Australia to re-send it to me. As soon as I receive it I will post it here OK?
apparition
OK, I got it downloaded. It'll take some time to get through it all.
Im not going to say I except this, want to be objective, but, ill say now, I never beleived a B-757 was what it was, and the A3, going past at ultra high speed, could appear(to any untrained eye witnesses) as a comercial airliner going by.
I'm a private pilot (can't afford to fly anymore because of Avgas and Insurance prices). I refuse to fly commercially anymore because of the gestapo drama.
Have friends at Alaska's Fort Rich who fly F-18s and heavys. Bush's "9/11" fairy tale has more holes in it than Swiss Cheese. Appreciate your critical thinking.
I just had to throw that handle in up above. I just like saying those words. Remember Ens parker use to say "jee, I like those kinda words"........
I am an X airline employee. I worked stations at SPI-MAF-MCI. A very short at CVG. MAF was the worst.
I worked opps, frt, tkt counter, ramp. Fighting with disgruntled co-employees, and heart failure, done me in.
Now, I just do FLT SIM 2002(i have the version WITH the towers in it) Started with the C-172, did a week on that, then a year&1/2, on the B-King air 350. Very difficult acft. Doing the C-5 now. WONDERFULL acft. I like the heavies as apposed to the fighters. Heavies give you time to think. Im not fighter jock mentality.
Flt sim gives me back, the occupation I miss. A real hands on ability.
John J. Coghlan
Controlling our Congress , through blackmail, 9/11, and installing a fascistic dictatorship was planed far in advance. Only a complete fool would believe the ridiculous stories that we have been told about 9/11. Strangely enough half of the people in this country do indeed believe what they have been told by our media. In fact, television has even convinced many viewers that the only people who are asking questions are conspiracy nuts. The only nuts are the ones who would believe such rubbish. The story given by the government, about the destruction of the World Trade Center, is a physical impossibility, that sounds like a bad movie plot. I do not know if Israel had a any involvement in it, or what it might be. The only thing I am certain about, is that the story that we were told was, incomplete at its best, and a total lie at its worse.
This disastrous direction that our country has been moving in, started with the destruction of the World Trade Center, and the attack on the Pentagon. I think if we are going to ever regain freedom, and democracy in this country, we are going to have to go back,and find the truth about what really happened, on 9/11.
Simple high school physics and old-fashioned investigative journalism has made it clear that the "Offical" account of 9/11 is a conspiracy/scam - designed to do nothing more than further the agenda of the war-mongering fascist elites.
Too bad for them, there once was a decent education system in this country and atleast a few people came out of it with common-sense, a critical eye and a basic understanding of the physical world we live in.
19 patsies with box cutters took down 3 towers and flew commerical airplanes like fighter jets...hahaha, come up with a better script next time.
David:
This is a very compelling, well presented and documented proposition.
I sincerely hope the ICC accedes to your request. It would, at the very least, make georgewbush to some degree a prisoner in his own homeland.
However, let us not forget our own needs and responsibilties.
As I continue to display my "Impeach Bush and Cheney" signs on my bicycle, I find myself more and more as time goes on, exposed to the notion that it's "too late" to pursue impeachment.
http://www.smallgov.org/?p=475
This is an argument we must take on overtly and agressively,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-l-borosage/time-for-a-grand-inquest...
even as we see what appears to be progress on the congressional front.
And while I would applaud a positive response on the ICC's part, were they to have the opportunity to effectively pursue the matter, it would constitute yet another humiliation and embarrassment to the American nation, as they would do our job for us, upon our default.
Even those of us who saw ominous forebodings in the ascent of this individual to the most powerful political office in human history from the beginning bear responsibility for all he has done with the power in his hands.
I am certain that feeling of responsibility must be what motivates you here.
And at this point, all law enforcement and judicial institutions throughout the world bear at least the moral obligation to persue this extraordinary war criminal, were the opportunity to present itself.
However, if we are to repair the damage he has done to our own political and social structures, not to mention show the rest of humanity that we both acknowledge our responsibility for the tragic legacy of georgewbush and are determined not merely to see justice done, but fulfill our unique obligation to preform that justice ourselves, then we must show that we are still capable of doing so through our own domestic legal channels.
The rest of humanity needs georewbush brought to justice. By whatever means. At whatever venue.
But Americans can only achieve closure, catharsis and healing by meting out this justice ourselves.
The prosecution of georgewbush must, can and should be carried out here.
By us.
Only thusly can we regain standing as a just nation.
And for our own healing, not that of the rest of humanity, that prosecution MUST be preceeded by IMPEACHMENT.
---The Bikemessenger