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Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Tony Blair should be prosecuted for war crimes – not just judged by history | Twiggy Garcia | Comment is free | theguardian.com

Tony Blair should be prosecuted for war crimes – not just judged by history | Twiggy Garcia | Comment is free | theguardian.com









Tony Blair should be prosecuted for war crimes – not just judged by history

Boris Johnson is right, Blair is 'eel-like' – but if the
Chilcot inquiry is published soon, he might not wriggle off the hook



• Boris Johnson: 'eel-like' Tony Blair will avoid being imprisoned
over Iraq war

'Even if Tony Blair uses his 'eel-like' powers to avoid
prosecution, he will not escape the history books.' Photograph: Stefan
Wermuth/Reuters
Boris Johnson's sympathy isn't worth much;
his sentiments during his LBC interview this week were touching, but
he does not have the conviction to back the campaign to see Tony Blair face
justice for his crimes. Johnson does, however, offer an insight into Blair's
character which I have experienced first-hand – that Blair is slippery. The London mayor
described him as "eel-like" and a "very adept and agile
lawyer". A prosecution for war crimes in Johnson's words was "not
going to happen".




Currently a prosecution depends on one of two
factors: its status before the International Criminal Court (ICC) or its status
in domestic law. The ICC calls itself "an independent, permanent court
that tries persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern,
namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes". In all honesty I
have no faith in the ICC bringing a conviction against Blair. The ICC has been
accused of bias, and as being a tool of western imperialism, only punishing
leaders from small states while ignoring crimes committed by richer and more
powerful states. This sentiment has been expressed particularly by African
leaders due to the disproportionate focus on their nations.




I believe our only hope of getting criminal
charges brought against Blair lies at home. Yet we cannot rely on our current
crop of politicians to do the right thing. They have no interest in seeing
Blair face justice as it would bring more controversy to the current government
on the world stage. Speaking of the Chilcot inquiry this week, David Cameron said: "It would be unreasonable to postpone it
beyond the next election," with his eyes clearly on the prize rather than
a genuine interest in justice.




Personally, I would like to see Blair brought
to account for his actions while he is alive. That will send a clear message to
any future politicians, both in the UK and abroad, helping to avoid another
illegal misguided foray and the loss of innocent lives. Between 500,000 and 1
million people have lost their lives in Iraq (depending on which reports you
believe), and with sectarian violence showing no signs of slowing down, the
death toll is still on the rise.




The sword of Damocles is hanging over Tony
Blair's head in the form of Sir John Chilcot's Iraq inquiry report, which unsurprisingly has
faced long delays. It is going to tell the story of, what is in my mind, the
most catastrophic foreign policy decision since 1956, when former British prime
minister Anthony Eden misled parliament and the British public and lied to the
world during the Suez crisis. Eden and Blair share several similarities: both
willing to sacrifice our troops and the innocent lives of civilians in the
Middle East for oil, regime change and imperialist gain.




Even if Blair uses his "eel-like"
powers to avoid prosecution, like so many rich and powerful people have done
before him, he will not escape the history books. The voices that protect him
will slowly fade and make way for a chorus of condemnation.




It is said that great men and women live
forever. They live through the lives they've touched, and the things they've
accomplished. I would say this is also true for people on the other side of
this fence: the villains. History will show the extent of Blair's failings, his
perversions of the truth, his misleading of the world and the blood on his
hands.





COMMENT:

How do we believe the UK government to be a
sincere exponent of  International
Justice system when we observe in brought day light issuing the “Israeli
minister Tzipi Livni given diplomatic immunity for UK visit.UK government
awards 'special mission' status to head-off would-be arrest warrant sought for
alleged war crimes in Gaza.

This not the only shocking thing Cameroon
government had exhibited during its term in office. In that protected the ex
Prime Minister the war criminal who took the country to war on pur lies and got
both own golden sons of the soil killed along with millions of Muslims. Does
his act not prove that he is a racist, man slaughterer menace. What right has
the Cameroon Government to smear the good name of the country and its monarchy
by willfully trying to protect a genocide criminal like Tony Blair and giving
diplomatic immunity to an Israel’s ex foreign minister indicted in war crime.

Does all these not show that UK is an abettor
of the crime committed by Israel which played a curicial role in supporting the
genocide against the Palestine Muslim. It thus prove over and over again that
TONY Blair is very much a war criminal and he has to be tried by the ICC. He
needs to arrested immediately and handed over to the court authorities at Hague.

At the same time rescind ‘Special Status’ to
head - off would be arrest warrant sought for alleged war crime in Gaza with
respect to Ex Israel’s Foreign Minister TZIPI LIVNI.

If
not done it would definitely badly smear the edifice of the country and  the monarchy’s good name. when International
Community of Nations might call
.........

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