Dutch man to be charged with aiding Iraq genocide.
Marrakech II
19-03-2005, 08:05
First when I was reading this. I thought, yeah this guy should be charged. But then I got to thinking. Why do we charge an individual with these type of charges and not governments. There are plenty of governments to be accused of this exact same thing. Why is it we let whole nations off and then we "fry" individuals?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4360137.stm
Ernst_Rohm
19-03-2005, 08:20
also it raises the issue, would someone who sold armes to the rwandan hutus before the genocide be guilty as well. a crime against humanity generally arises from using military weapons intentionally against civilians, a genocide is an even more extreme uses of such weapons against a civilian population, can a person who sold the weapons really be held accountable for their misuse unless they should have known they were going to be used in that manner. far more civilians were murdered by saddaam with bullets and rockets and conventional bombs than with chemical weapons yet i don't see those dealers being treated to the same prosecutions. most of iraq's chemical weapons were used against the iranian military(who also used chemical weapons), i think the case against this man is rather flimsy, unfortunately with passions being inflamed he may well be convicted based on the power of the image of weapons of mass destruction rather than the merits of the case.
Jorge Boosh
19-03-2005, 08:26
Do you know who supplied the machetes of the Rwandan genocide to the hutus? France.....
Ernst_Rohm
19-03-2005, 08:30
damn frogs are guilty of genocide alright, what were they thinking selling folks sharpened metal implements. they shoulda known that them there hutus were gonna go on a murderous spree of ethnic cleansing after they got all those shiny new pieces of cutlery.
Its called Soverign Immunity. Govnerment officials cannot be prosecuted for policy decisions. If they could be then effective government would be impossible. Unfortunatly, thi man isn't a government official.
Ernst_Rohm
19-03-2005, 08:44
Its called Soverign Immunity. Govnerment officials cannot be prosecuted for policy decisions. If they could be then effective government would be impossible. Unfortunatly, thi man isn't a government official.
which is why tyrants fear stepping down, then they can face procesution at home and abroad... SI also doesn't count if you invade and conquer the nation who's leaders you want to prosecute so it really only applies to powerful nations(just ask manuel noriega).