In defending the judgments at Nuremberg and in creating a mechanism to deter and punish aggressive war, Robert Jackson, the chief American prosecutor there held that "the ultimate step in avoiding periodic wars, which are inevitable in a system of international lawlessness, is to make statesmen responsible to law." If Bush succeeds and the Congress leaves him unresponsible, he will continue to be irresponsible, and it will be difficult to make future presidents responsible to the law, the Constitution or the public.
Sources
[1] Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, "Bush Seeks Retroactive Immunity From US War Crimes Prosecution." Thursday
3 August 2006 at: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/8/3/12413/49075
[2] Pauline Jelinek, "Army Bans Some Interrogation Techniques." Associated Press, 6 September 2006. http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/09/06/ap2997536.html
[3] Ibid. (President Bush acknowledged the existence of previously secret CIA prisons around the world where terrorist
suspects have been held and interrogated, saying 14 such al-Qaida leaders had been transferred to the military prison at
Guantanamo Bay and will be brought to trial).
[4] Jeremy Brecher & Brendan Smith, "Bush Aims to Kill War Crimes Act." The Nation, Tuesday 5 September 2006
[5] Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, No 05-184 (2006)
[6] Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, (one legal expert opined that Hamdan "probably could not be used
retroactively to punish anyone for employing extra-legal interrogation techniques," but use of those techniques after the Hamdan decision
will be grounds for a war crimes prosecution. Yet, as the Bush team is trying to change the reach of the War Crimes Act, then such
is tantamount to an admission that the Bush team plans to continue to violate the Geneva Conventions ï ¿ ½ despite what the highest
court has ruled.)
[7] Brecher
[8] Pete Yost, "White House proposes retroactive war crimes protection. Moves to shield policy makers." Associated
Press, 10 August 2006; http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/08/10/white_house_proposes_
retroactive_war_crimes_protection?mode=PF
[9] Brecher
[10] Yost
[11] Brecher
[12] Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse
[13] Patrick Martin, Bush demands congressional rubber-stamp for police-state powers. World
Socialist Web Site, 9 September 2006: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/sep2006/bush-s09_prn.shtml
[14] Ibid.
Sources
[1] Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, "Bush Seeks Retroactive Immunity From US War Crimes Prosecution." Thursday
3 August 2006 at: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/8/3/12413/49075
[2] Pauline Jelinek, "Army Bans Some Interrogation Techniques." Associated Press, 6 September 2006. http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/09/06/ap2997536.html
[3] Ibid. (President Bush acknowledged the existence of previously secret CIA prisons around the world where terrorist
suspects have been held and interrogated, saying 14 such al-Qaida leaders had been transferred to the military prison at
Guantanamo Bay and will be brought to trial).
[4] Jeremy Brecher & Brendan Smith, "Bush Aims to Kill War Crimes Act." The Nation, Tuesday 5 September 2006
[5] Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, No 05-184 (2006)
[6] Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, (one legal expert opined that Hamdan "probably could not be used
retroactively to punish anyone for employing extra-legal interrogation techniques," but use of those techniques after the Hamdan decision
will be grounds for a war crimes prosecution. Yet, as the Bush team is trying to change the reach of the War Crimes Act, then such
is tantamount to an admission that the Bush team plans to continue to violate the Geneva Conventions ï ¿ ½ despite what the highest
court has ruled.)
[7] Brecher
[8] Pete Yost, "White House proposes retroactive war crimes protection. Moves to shield policy makers." Associated
Press, 10 August 2006; http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/08/10/white_house_proposes_
retroactive_war_crimes_protection?mode=PF
[9] Brecher
[10] Yost
[11] Brecher
[12] Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse
[13] Patrick Martin, Bush demands congressional rubber-stamp for police-state powers. World
Socialist Web Site, 9 September 2006: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/sep2006/bush-s09_prn.shtml
[14] Ibid.
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