While the primary responsibility for addressing the Bush administration's involvement in crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity, rests with the people of the United States, because we both enabled, then failed, to arrest his acts, there is necessarily universal jurisdiction over such crimes if humanity is to end the scourge of war.
We dare not blink at the magnitude, diversity and pervasive impact of the known crimes committed by the Bush administration. Wars of aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Supreme International Crime, have killed hundreds of thousands outright, wounded, sickened and malnourished, many more than they have killed and sent millions as refugees to neighboring nations whle rendering homeless millions more. Indiscriminate killing of civilians, summary execution, arbitrary seizures of people and property, secret unlimited detention and torture, have been authorized, widely practiced and been both defended and denied publically.
President Bush, the self-proclaimed "decider", reached for unlimited dictatorial power whenever he proclaimed the national security was threatened. And he considered himself above the law where domestic affairs were concerned, even as he signed Acts of Congress into law.
A culture of corruption in contracting for security services, war relief programs, reconstruction in war-devastated countries, have unjustly enriched favored predators abroad, while at home mortgage lenders, bankers, insurance companies and corporate executives exploited Bush administration policies intending enrichment of the rich, that with the radically increased national debt and military spending have led to the collapse of the global economy, threatening massive unemployment and world wide depression with all their consequences for the general welfare.
Widespread illegal surveillance at home and abroad, persecution, harassment of and discrimination against Muslims, other minorities and against political opposition by US government agencies - the Immigration Service, Border Patrol, IRS, FBI, prosecutions by the Department of Justice - have violated the most precious rights of citizens and aliens alike, injured the United States in international and cooperation and made new appointees, committing crimes in at least six Executive Departments, most notably by Interior and Justice, has brought lawlessness into the government bureacracy itself, costing billions of dollars and creating distrust of government.
Having failed to impeach President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and other civil officers of the UN for their supreme international crime while they were in office, a broad coalition of peace, human rights, labor, law, environmental and other organizations, are now vigorously seeking US prosecution for their crimes. Your acts in common cause an enormous encouragement. With unity, cooperation and persevering, We Shall Overcome, or be undone, together. We dare not fail.
Ramsey Clark
March 12, 2009
Ramsey Clark was Attorney General of the United States from 1967 to 1969. He later taught law and became active in the anti-Vietnam War movement. He founded the International Action Center (IAC) and has defended or supported, Philip Berrigan, Slobodan Milosevic and Saddam Hussein.
See also: Calgary Protesters Prepare for Bush Visit:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Calgary+protesters+gear+Bush+visit/1385169/story.html
Canada's Duty To Arrest George Bush for War Crimes, Petition and Info:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/03/423880.html
George W Bush is International War Criminal Number One!
http://www.uruknet.info?p=20656
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/131346
Canada must either Bar or Prosecute in Calgary, March 17,2009
Messages of solidarity, support and protest to:
The People Vs Bush: http://www.peoplevbush.ca email: info@peoplevbush.ca
please distribute widely:
btb