Daily Independent (Lagos)
Abdulrahman Abdulraheem
5 January 2009
opinion
If there is one burden the whole world has had to live with and endure since the close of the Second World War (1939-1945), it is the aggressive foreign policies and murderous tendencies of successive administrations of the US, the self-acclaimed prefects of the world.
Many foreign Heads of State have been murdered by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), some like former Cuban leader, Fidel Castro (who even went into the record books for escaping about a hundred assassination attempts all masterminded by the US and succeeding many American presidents all of whom planned to kill him) had escaped, many countries had been unjustly invaded, military support had been given to warring parties to bring down their neighbours or rivals.
Based on this, the fact that the country has a history of claiming to be the world's Biggest Brother remains a puzzle.
May be that is why some Nigerians were reported to have widely celebrated the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) and the Pentagon. Even though I don't subscribe to that because we don't have to condemn evil only when it happens to us, this shows the resentment any mention of the US generates among the people of the world especially the Muslims. And may be the reason the country has been consistent over the decades in executing evil around the world is the fact that unnecessary and senseless war is only (and has been so far) a crime for non- US citizens. This is because many nationals of other countries have been tried (while some have been jailed) for causing the death of others in needless wars...
There was Fonday Saybana Sankoh (1937-2003), the founder of RUF (Revolutionary United Front) in the 11-year Sierra-Leone war (1991-2001) where over 50,000 people died and about 500,000 displaced. He was a Corporal in the country's Army before he alongside Abu Kanu and Rashid Mansaray formed the rebel group (both of whom he ordered their execution for criticizing his "Operation Pay Yourself" where troops were encouraged to loot anything they could find) and masterminded rape, arson, amputations and mass murder during the war. When the UK and ECOMOG forces waded in and got Sankoh, he was handed to the British and under jurisdiction of a UN-backed court, he was indicted on 17 counts for various war crimes, including crimes against humanity, rape, sexual slavery and Genocide. He later died of complications arising from a stroke whilst awaiting trial. I can remember vividly a statement by the then chief prosecutor, David Crane of the UN backed war crimes court, that Sankoh's death granted him "a peaceful end that he denied to so many others". This is a good example of someone who was made to pay for his sins against mankind even though he didn't wait for conviction.
There was also Slobodan Milosevic (1941-2006), former President of Serbia (1989-1997) and later President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1997-2000) who died in the War Crimes prison in The Hague after five years of standing trial for 'crimes against humanity, violating the laws or customs of laws, grave breaches of the Geneva Convention and genocide for his role during the wars in Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosovo'. He died of blood pressure and heart attack after he accused the court of refusing his request to make a medical trip to a cardiology clinic in Moscow , though, the court responded that he himself refused to take prescribed medicines but instead, chose to medicate himself. This is another example of a man who was made to suffer for his 'crimes'.
Back to Africa, there is the veteran Liberian warlord and former President (1997-2003), Charles McAthur Ghankay Taylor who is currently standing trial at a UN-backed court on a 650- count charge of war crimes and is presently detained at the United Nations Detention Unit on the premises of the Penitentiary Institution in The Hague . This is a good case of someone who is being made to pay for his marvellous contribution to the misfortune of the world.
He was found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity by United Nations judge, Erik Moses. The former Director of Rwanda's Ministry of Defence, organized and armed the Interahamwe militia and directed Hutu soldiers to kill Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
Protais Zigiranyirazo had earlier been sentenced to 20 years in prison for organizing a massacre of hundreds of Tutsis. Again, a case of people whose dirty past has sent to modern day Golgotha .
Now, George Walker Bush, former Texas Governor (1995-2000) and outgoing US president has succeeded in causing the death of millions of people in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and others and no one is talking yet about how to arraign him before a UN-backed Criminal Court after his tenure elapses at 16A Pennsylvania Avenue (White House) by noon on January 20th.
Among his countless atrocities against God and humanity, the invasion of Iraq on 20th of March, 2003 was most questionable. He against the wise counsel of everyone including Nelson Mandela (who even called him a Bushman for the invasion) and karol Jozef wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) proceeded to bomb Baghdad and started what has led to the death of millions of people in avoidable circumstances.
His inordinate ambition in the country was obvious when UN atomic agency went to the country many times and did not see anything like Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), yet, he insisted that his own (false) intelligence could see the destructive weapons. Now that his so-called intelligence has turned to foolishness by his own admission, what is the United Nations waiting for or is there any difference between him and others who have been tried for war crimes?
But now that the world most distinguished terrorist has had his way -Saddam now out and US lackey in charge and satisfied his devilish taste for human blood, he is now retreating by saying it was a mistake since his CIA intelligence was incorrect. This guy was not only a burden to his party and a curse to his nation (worst so far with the lowest approval rating in about half a century), he is as well a terrorist to the world and he deserves to face criminal charges at The Hague .
It would have been better if Bush clinically removed his prime target, Saddam (who himself deserves no sympathy from any sane person since he was a murderer) without having to sacrifice the lives of innocent Iraqis. That is why both need to die by hanging for there to be true peace in this unjust world of ours. Bush must of course think the rest of us in this world except him are fools to come out and say he had a false Intelligence report.
Apart from Iraq, he supported Israel forces against Lebanon and he went to Afghanistan to wreck havoc on innocent and defenseless people just because he was looking for few 'terrorists'. My problem with the skirmishes that happen in this very sinful world of ours is that some people are made to pay for sins of others.
Why didn't he just go for Osama and spare innocent people on the streets?
As the French essayist and philosopher, Voltaire (1694-1778) rightly noted, in a world in need of urgent reforms, no one need to be above the law. There should be justice and fairness in the world order. Some people have been caught for the 9/11 attacks. If indeed they did it, they should face the music for unjustly killing innocent people. Not only Arabs, blacks and people from less powerful countries should be tried for war crimes, everybody should. This alone will reduce tension and guarantee true world peace as Martin Luther King jr (1929-1968) rightly noted above.
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Case well stated; we are waiting to see if the world body in NManhattan (New York, NY) will have the gut to say, in the name of fairness, the key players in the out-going US Government must have their day in court. It is simply not enough to say the intelligence had it wrong; people died, and I believed the figures in this opinion are accurate. So, where is the justice for those people? Are they the no-bodies of the world?
This is a great piece, and those who are quick to hand out world crime charges (like cookies) to… [Read Full Text]
I think you cannot compare Bush to any of the convicted war criminals you mensioned. Milosevitch for example was involved in ethnic cleansing of the bosnian muslims.
Bush's invation of Iraq was very surgical in avoiding collateral damage. In fact most of the deaths in Iraq was after the invation and is at the hand of fellow iraqis (sunni vs shi'a).
you would have made more sense if you talk about abu ghuraib or water boarding.
"Bush's invation of Iraq was very surgical in avoiding collateral damage." Otaru
Good, if this is correct, then so Bush has a good defense. The piece we are discussing doesn’t say ‘hang Bush’; the author wants to see him in court like other accused have, some of whom (like Taylor) Bush strongly condemned. We want fairness. Let him go to the world body and use your nice line as defense.
For your information, the invasion was not "surgical" enough, and there was huge "collateral damage". Remember that there were no ethnic killings before the war of choice was waged, which… [Read Full Text]
Never and I wouldn't suggest that you advocate for it. The United States is the “world super power,” thank you for recognizing that the U.S. is the world “big brother.” I have a question for the author; do you know what happens to a United States citizen who commits crimes in foreign land? You mentioned former Liberia’s President Taylor, his son Taylor Jr., an American citizen committed crimes in a foreign land and he faced the law and was convicted. I need not to go on with a list, but the United States hand-over citizens who committees crimes… [Read Full Text]