The International Criminal Court threw a wrench in back-channel talks to get Moammar Gadhafi and his family to leave Libya by issuing arrest warrants today for the dictator, his son Saif al-Islam and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanussi.
Gadhafi is accused of ordering attacks on civilians during Libya's four-month revolution, which began as a peaceful Arab Spring protest, but turned into an armed insurrection when Gadhafi's forces and secret police opened fire on demonstrators.
"(Gadhafi) aimed at deterring and quelling by any means, including by the use of force, the demonstrations of civilians against the regime", the court alleged.
His son Saif and Sanussi are accused of carrying out the orders to open fire on the Libyan demonstrators from Feb. 15 to at least Feb 28. Thousands of Libyans are believed to have been slaughtered under Gadhafi's orders.
Gadhafi's spokesman said over the weekend the regime does not recognize the ICC and will ignore the charges.
In an unusual twist, diplomatic sources from NATO-member nations said the ICC at The Hague clearly did the right thing by charging the trio with crimes against humanity, but acknowledged the court probably wiped out some incentive for Gadhafi to leave Libya.
The rebels have said they are willing to consider a plan to get Gadhafi and his family to leave government, but remain in Libya under a sort of house arrest in-country exile.
The diplomatic sources, who spoke this morning after the ruling on the condition of anonymity, said the alliance does not like that idea, but acknowledged it may have to swallow that pill.
Publicly NATO welcomed the court's action. "It reinforces the reason for Nato's mission to protect the Libyan people from Gadhafi's forces," said NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Closer to home, the warrants give President Obama some much-needed cover with peacenik House Democrats, who have joined with conservative Republicans in arguing the administration has failed to make the case against joining the NATO-led air campaign.
At the outset, Obama joined the two biggest U.S. allies, Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain and Nicolas Sarkozy of France, in arguing that the air strikes were necessary to prevent a genocidal slaughter in the city of Benghazi, where Gadhafi's troops had massed in March.
Gadhafi had publicly threatened to wipe out the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, which has since become the de facto capital for the Transitional national Council. Led by French warplanes, the alliance struck March 19, wiping out the armored column outside Benghazi.
"We are extremely happy that the whole world has united in prosecuting Gaddafi for the crimes he has committed," rebel council spokesman Jalal al-Galal told Reuters. "The people feel vindicated by such a response."
Showing posts with label crimes against humanity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crimes against humanity. Show all posts
Monday, June 27, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Bosnian War Crimes Suspect Mladic Arrested
Updated at 3:30 p.m. edt
The arrest today of Gen. Ratko Mladic prompted Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to warn accused war criminals that they will be hunted down no matter how long it takes.
"Mladic's arrest serves as a statement to those around the world who would break the law and target innocent civilians: international justice works. If you commit a crime, you will not escape judgment, you will not go free," Clinton said in a statement.
Mladic's was captured a decade and half after allegedly allowing the mass killing of about 6,000 Bosnian Muslim males.
Clinton was the sitting First Lady when the genocide occurred and Mladic and other fugitive Bosnian Serbs later went into hiding. Her husband, then- President Bill Clinton rallied NATO into an air campaign that brought a halt to the Serbs ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Muslims.
"Today, as we thank Serbia for bringing a criminal to justice, we also send our deepest sympathies and extend our thoughts and prayers to all those who have suffered from the notorious acts charged to Mladic, particularly the genocide at Srebrenica in 1995," Clinton said.
"You have waited far too long for this day," she added.
Clinton also signaled the United States' desire that Mladic be handed over quickly to the special court at The Hague.
"We commend President Tadic, the government of Serbia, its security services and all those who have labored for years to bring Mladic to justice. We look forward to his earliest possible extradition to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague so that justice may be served," Clinton said.
end update
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Just as the U.S. and NATO are trying to send a message to despots in places like Tripoli and Damascus, an alleged war criminal accused of committing acts of genocide and mass murder in Bosnia and Herzogovina gets apprehended by authorities.
Gen. Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb military commander blamed in the 1995 slaughter of nearly 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, is under arrest today in Serbia on charges of crimes against humanity, the Serbian government announced.
Mladic picked up at a so-far undisclosed location in Serbia. Click here for the Interpol's most-wanted notice for Mladic, accused of extermination and hooliganism.
President Obama wants Mladic handed over to the special war crimes tribunal on the former Yugoslavia, a spokesman said a short while ago. The timely news of the arrest was welcomed by White House officials, especially those traveling with the President in Europe.
The systematic killings in Srebrenica, the worst act of genocide in Europe since World War II, prompted President Bill Clinton at the time to organize support for a successful bombing campaign that forced Belgrade to capitulate.
Under what was called a policy of ethnic cleansing, Mladic led a military and militia accused of rounding up men and boys, sometimes promising their loved ones that it was just for questioning. Many of the Bosnian Muslim males never returned and some were discovered in mass graves.
Srebrenica is a Muslim enclave in the former Yugoslavia and is a centuries-old remnant and tribute to the once far-reach of the Turks' Ottoman Empire.
Radovan Karadzic, the Bosnian Serb political leader accused of having a role in the Srebrenica massacre, was arrested three year's ago and is currently on trial at The Hague.
The arrest today of Gen. Ratko Mladic prompted Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to warn accused war criminals that they will be hunted down no matter how long it takes.
"Mladic's arrest serves as a statement to those around the world who would break the law and target innocent civilians: international justice works. If you commit a crime, you will not escape judgment, you will not go free," Clinton said in a statement.
Mladic's was captured a decade and half after allegedly allowing the mass killing of about 6,000 Bosnian Muslim males.
Clinton was the sitting First Lady when the genocide occurred and Mladic and other fugitive Bosnian Serbs later went into hiding. Her husband, then- President Bill Clinton rallied NATO into an air campaign that brought a halt to the Serbs ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Muslims.
"Today, as we thank Serbia for bringing a criminal to justice, we also send our deepest sympathies and extend our thoughts and prayers to all those who have suffered from the notorious acts charged to Mladic, particularly the genocide at Srebrenica in 1995," Clinton said.
"You have waited far too long for this day," she added.
Clinton also signaled the United States' desire that Mladic be handed over quickly to the special court at The Hague.
"We commend President Tadic, the government of Serbia, its security services and all those who have labored for years to bring Mladic to justice. We look forward to his earliest possible extradition to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague so that justice may be served," Clinton said.
end update
---[
Just as the U.S. and NATO are trying to send a message to despots in places like Tripoli and Damascus, an alleged war criminal accused of committing acts of genocide and mass murder in Bosnia and Herzogovina gets apprehended by authorities.
Gen. Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb military commander blamed in the 1995 slaughter of nearly 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, is under arrest today in Serbia on charges of crimes against humanity, the Serbian government announced.
Mladic picked up at a so-far undisclosed location in Serbia. Click here for the Interpol's most-wanted notice for Mladic, accused of extermination and hooliganism.
President Obama wants Mladic handed over to the special war crimes tribunal on the former Yugoslavia, a spokesman said a short while ago. The timely news of the arrest was welcomed by White House officials, especially those traveling with the President in Europe.
The systematic killings in Srebrenica, the worst act of genocide in Europe since World War II, prompted President Bill Clinton at the time to organize support for a successful bombing campaign that forced Belgrade to capitulate.
Under what was called a policy of ethnic cleansing, Mladic led a military and militia accused of rounding up men and boys, sometimes promising their loved ones that it was just for questioning. Many of the Bosnian Muslim males never returned and some were discovered in mass graves.
Srebrenica is a Muslim enclave in the former Yugoslavia and is a centuries-old remnant and tribute to the once far-reach of the Turks' Ottoman Empire.
Radovan Karadzic, the Bosnian Serb political leader accused of having a role in the Srebrenica massacre, was arrested three year's ago and is currently on trial at The Hague.
Monday, May 16, 2011
ICC Charges Gadhafi; NATO Blows Up Bomb Boat
Updated 5:15 p.m. edt
Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim shrugged off the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Moammar Gadhafi, noting the ICC's "impotence" in apprehending other wanted leaders, like Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, remains in Khartoum despite charges in 2008 that he had a direct role in the genocide in Darfur.
“The ICC is not important for us. We are not part of the Rome statute. We will not show any attention to the decision, Kaim said, according to The Telegraph of London. “The practices of the ICC are questionable. It’s a baby of the European union designed for [prosecuting] African leaders.”
"We are more interested [in] the human rights council and in moving forward with trying to implement a ceasefire," Kaim said, according to The Guardian of London.
end update
---[
An arrest warrant was issued today for Moammar Gadhafi, charging him with crimes against humanity for the slaughter of protesters who called for democratic reforms and an end to his 41-year rule.
At The Hague, International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo also requested judges consider issuing warrants for Gadhafi's son Saif al-Islam and his brother-in-law and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, Reuters reported.
Now what? Does charging Gadhafi and his son and brother-in-law with war crimes further entrench the regime or does it send a massage to others to get out now before they face similar counts from the international court, ponders one blogger at Foreign Policy.
The court actions came as NATO maintained a stepped up tempo against Gadhafi forces and targets.
NATO warships intercepted a small boat rigged by Gadhafi forces with high explosives meant to disrupt shipping into Misurata. NATO blew the boat, manned with two life-like human dummies, out of the water.
"This is the first evidence of an attempt to use an improvised explosive device with decoy human mannequins to threaten commercial shipping and humanitarian aid in the area of Misrata," NATO said in a statement.
There were also reports of NATO air strikes overnight on Tripoli and one of the city's suburbs Tajoura. There were also strikes on Zawiyah, about 30 miles west of Tripoli, and Zuara, 80 miles west of the capital.
Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim shrugged off the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Moammar Gadhafi, noting the ICC's "impotence" in apprehending other wanted leaders, like Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, remains in Khartoum despite charges in 2008 that he had a direct role in the genocide in Darfur.
“The ICC is not important for us. We are not part of the Rome statute. We will not show any attention to the decision, Kaim said, according to The Telegraph of London. “The practices of the ICC are questionable. It’s a baby of the European union designed for [prosecuting] African leaders.”
"We are more interested [in] the human rights council and in moving forward with trying to implement a ceasefire," Kaim said, according to The Guardian of London.
end update
---[
An arrest warrant was issued today for Moammar Gadhafi, charging him with crimes against humanity for the slaughter of protesters who called for democratic reforms and an end to his 41-year rule.
At The Hague, International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo also requested judges consider issuing warrants for Gadhafi's son Saif al-Islam and his brother-in-law and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, Reuters reported.
Now what? Does charging Gadhafi and his son and brother-in-law with war crimes further entrench the regime or does it send a massage to others to get out now before they face similar counts from the international court, ponders one blogger at Foreign Policy.
The court actions came as NATO maintained a stepped up tempo against Gadhafi forces and targets.
NATO warships intercepted a small boat rigged by Gadhafi forces with high explosives meant to disrupt shipping into Misurata. NATO blew the boat, manned with two life-like human dummies, out of the water.
"This is the first evidence of an attempt to use an improvised explosive device with decoy human mannequins to threaten commercial shipping and humanitarian aid in the area of Misrata," NATO said in a statement.
There were also reports of NATO air strikes overnight on Tripoli and one of the city's suburbs Tajoura. There were also strikes on Zawiyah, about 30 miles west of Tripoli, and Zuara, 80 miles west of the capital.
Friday, April 29, 2011
US, UN Finally Takes Aim at Assad's Killing Fields
The United States and the United Nations today commenced with an economic and legal crackdown on the genocidal regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The U.S. targeted Assad's brother, Maher Al-Assad, the commander of the Fourth Armored Division that fired on Syrian civilians in Daraa this week, where the pro-democracy movement erupted in Syria.
The U.S. also named Syrian intelligence chief Ali Mamluk and former Daraa province governor Atif Najib as culprits responsible for the murder of peaceful pro-democracy Syrian demonstrators.
President Obama signed an executive order today authorizing the crackdown.
"As a result of this action, any property in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons in which the individuals listed in the Annex have an interest is blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them," the White House said.
The UN Human Rights Council, meanwhile, condemned for Assad his violent crackdown, opening the door to an investigation into the crimes against humanity his regime has perpetrated.
“With today’s vote, the council has stood against attempts to silence dissent with the use of gratuitous violence, which is not the act of a responsible government,” said U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice in the understatement of the day.
The U.S. targeted Assad's brother, Maher Al-Assad, the commander of the Fourth Armored Division that fired on Syrian civilians in Daraa this week, where the pro-democracy movement erupted in Syria.
The U.S. also named Syrian intelligence chief Ali Mamluk and former Daraa province governor Atif Najib as culprits responsible for the murder of peaceful pro-democracy Syrian demonstrators.
President Obama signed an executive order today authorizing the crackdown.
"As a result of this action, any property in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons in which the individuals listed in the Annex have an interest is blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them," the White House said.
The UN Human Rights Council, meanwhile, condemned for Assad his violent crackdown, opening the door to an investigation into the crimes against humanity his regime has perpetrated.
“With today’s vote, the council has stood against attempts to silence dissent with the use of gratuitous violence, which is not the act of a responsible government,” said U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice in the understatement of the day.
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