Worldwide Tribunal To Meet In Istanbul Over U.S. War Crimes

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Thu, 26 May 2005 21:04:11 -0700 (PDT)

Worldwide Tribunal To Meet In Istanbul Over U.S. War Crimes

In Iraq Bush and Blair invited

 

 

 

 

Worldwide Tribunal To Meet In Istanbul Over U.S. War Crimes In Iraq

Bush and Blair invited to defend war decision but not expected to attend

 

May 24, 2005

 

By Greg Szymanski

 

As President Bush " jet-sets " around the world, there is one overseas

meeting in June he will avoid like the plague.

 

Bush and England's Prime Minister Tony Blair this week received

personal invitations to attend a session of the World Tribunal on Iraq

(WTI) in Istanbul from June 23-27. A White House spokesman said he was

unaware of the meeting or any such group.

 

The WTI, made up of thousands of people worldwide including many

pre-imminent foreign leaders and dignitaries, seeks to reclaim justice

regarding the Iraqi invasion since Bush and Blair have failed to

recognize international law as well as the International Criminal Court.

 

The group was formed two years ago with the intent to document the war

crimes orchestrated by Bush and Blair with the intent to eventually

bring both heads of state to justice despite what group leaders say is

" an arrogant flaunting of world opinion and established law. "

 

WTI media spokesman Hilal Kuey said many countries around the world

are not as kind towards the two leaders as America and England,

viewing the Iraqi invasion as an overt act of aggression.

 

" Since the U.S. administration does not recognize the International

Criminal Court and the U.K. government has used its power to avoid

being prosecuted for an illegal and illegitimate war, the citizens of

the world have undertaken an initiative to reclaim justice, " said Kuey

from her office in Turkey. " The world is calling for Bush and Blair to

be held accountable for the crimes committed in Iraq. "

 

The Istanbul conference is a culmination of two years of investigating

and documenting the occupation and destruction of Iraq, as numerous

sessions have been held in many foreign capitals around the world.

 

The Istanbul conference marks the third anniversary of the Iraqi

invasion and seeks to hold Bush and Blair accountable for severe

violations of international law.

 

The formal letter sent to Bush is highly critical of the Iraqi

invasion and asks him to defend his position to the world, something

WTI leaders say Bush has avoided for three years.

 

" We, on behalf of the peoples of the world who believe in justice,

start from the conviction that you have been acting in violation of

common values of humanity, international treaties and international

law, " stated the letter sent to the White House and numerous American

and British Embassies around the world, asking both Bush and Blair to

defend their positions.

 

Since the organization claims Bush has ignored worldwide pleas to

respect international law, the WTI has spread to almost every capital

in the world in an attempt to fight what it calls " a war of aggression

launched despite the opposition of people and governments all over the

world. "

 

" There is no court or authority that will judge the acts of the U.S.

and its allies. If the official authorities fail, then authority

derived from universal morals and human rights principles can speak

for the world, " said Kuey, the WTI spokesman.

 

" Our legitimacy derives from the failure of official international

institutions to hold accountable those who committed grave

international crimes and constitute a continued menace to world peace.

We have a duty to take action against wars of aggression, war crimes,

crimes against humanity and other breaches of international law.

 

" The WTI will not end in Istanbul as it is to be considered a

continuing process. The investigation of what happened in Iraq is of

prime importance to restore truth and preserve collective memory

against the constant rewriting of history. We are challenging the

silence of international institutions and seeking to put them under

pressure to fulfil their obligations under international law. "

 

Besides the Iraqi invasion, the WTI is also investigating the growing

clamor of what has been called America's effort to create a " new world

order " to dominate the world under a single leadership.

 

" The WTI initiative seeks to be part of a broader movement to stop the

establishment of the new imperial world order as a permanent 'state of

exception' with constant wars as one of its main tools, " added Kuey.

" We hope to bring a moral, political and judicial judgment that

contributes to build a world of peace and justice. "

 

The WTI has been endorsed and signed by such notable worldwide figures

as Richard Falk, professor of International Law at the University of

Santa Barbara; Ken Coates, chairman of the Bertrand Russel Peace

Foundation; Baskin Oran, former European member of parliament and

professor of International Relations at the University of Ankara and

Denis J. Halliday, former Asst. UN Secretary General 1994-1998.

 

For more informative articles, go to www.arcticbeacon.com.

 

Greg Szymanski

 

http://www.arcticbeacon.citymaker.com/articles/article/1518131/26342.htm