You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Europe
'Arrest threat' to Rumsfeld trip
2005-02-04
The US Defence Secretary has said he is considering whether to attend a conference in Germany, where he may face arrest for war crimes.
You know, it would be fun to see them try it. Fun in a horrific traffic accident kind of way.
Donald Rumsfeld is due to attend a gathering of high-level defence officials and experts next week. But he says he has not yet decided whether or not to attend the conference in the German city of Munich. US lawyers representing Iraqis who say they were abused in US custody have filed a complaint with a German court.
Belgium backed down on this same kind of issue, ya gonna let them show you up, Germany?
"It's certainly an issue. It's something that we have to take into consideration," Mr Rumsfeld said on Thursday. "Whether I'll end up there, we'll soon know. It'll be a week and we'll find out."
"We'll also find out where we're going move those troops we still have in Germany"
There is no mention of Mr Rumsfeld's attendance on the website for the conference, which runs from 11-13 February. In a suit filed with German federal prosecutors, the New-York based Center for Constitutional Rights accuses Mr Rumsfeld of war crimes linked to the alleged abuse of detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib detention centre. US investigations into the abuse scandal have concluded that he was not directly responsible. The complaint was filed in Germany as its laws allow war crimes and human rights violations to be prosecuted across international boundaries. The prosecutor's office has not taken any action on the complaint, filed last November.
"What do you take us for, a bunch of dumbkof's?"
The conference has not always been a welcome event for Mr Rumsfeld - in 2003, German Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, publicly challenged Mr Rumsfeld's justifications for possible military action over Iraq, precipitating a deterioration in relations between the two nations.
Definitely go. Put Schroeder on the spot if they're stoopid enough to do anything but blow smoke.
Posted by:tipper

#18  We can't blame you, TGA, or Germany as a whole for these idiots, since they come from our side of the Atlantic. OTOP, why haven't your courts thrown the case out immediately?
Posted by: jackal   2005-02-04 10:54:53 PM  

#17  Oh pleaaase, US lawyers, would you kindly stop to exploit German legal loopholes? We should slap them with a hefty fee for frivolous lawsuits.

The law is not a stupid one, it was made to go after war crimes of dictators and other unsavoury characters provided that the victims of such war crimes could not seek prosecution in their own country or in the country of the defendant.

Since you can, of course, press prosecution against Rumsfeld in the U.S. if you have the inclination, the German law doesn't apply and the Federal Attorney will, if you pester him any more, kindly tell you so.

Of course Rumsfeld enjoys full diplomatic immunity so he will be protected by German police, not arrested. Condi Rice is safe, too :-)

Ah, it was a busy day.

PS: BigEd, since I will attend the Munich Security Conference you might want to reconsider the crater idea.

Please understand that this is NOT a German issue. Go after your own lawyers for that one.

Oh and please Rummy, come to Munich. Hillary Clinton said she was going to attend! Sorry, Douglas Feith doesn't cut it.
Posted by: True German Ally   2005-02-04 7:53:01 PM  

#16  Going to war over this idiocy might be a bit extreme

Any bets that the SecDef is routinely extended diplomatic credentials, and is thus protected by diplomatic immunity? Wouldn't a purposeful violation of diplomatic immunity be at least a major incident?
Posted by: Robert Crawford   2005-02-04 7:26:35 PM  

#15  Was gonna note that Merkins wouldn't take kindly to that sort of treatment of an elderly citizen just cause he's SECDEF...

Elderly? He's gotta be one of the hottest elderly men I've ever seen. Rummy's a classicly handsome guy.

If Europe would just take a breath, step back and think about this a bit, it might clear up some confusion on their part on why we don't always seek concensus or invite their input. On important matters, their judgment is dangerously flawed.
Posted by: Jules 187   2005-02-04 5:26:17 PM  

#14  "We should publically tell the Russians that for $5 billion US, we'll let them have all of Germany without interference this time."

That's ridiculous, we can get at least $500 billion.
Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy   2005-02-04 5:17:02 PM  

#13  BigEd, that's beautiful.
Posted by: The Doctor   2005-02-04 5:11:17 PM  

#12  Rummy goes to the conference. The New Yawk Lawyahs are told to shove this thing up their collective asses. Ignore them. They are publicity hounds and are trying to embarass and humiliate the SoD and the US Government. Then we should quietly start looking for nefarious things that the Lawyuhs have done and talk to prosecutors about it, if the need comes up.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2005-02-04 4:17:18 PM  

#11  You know, it would be fun to see them try it. Fun in a horrific traffic accident kind of way.



The former site of Munich, Germany, where the German government foolishly allowed Totalitarianist Leftist officials from the ICRC arrest kidnap US Secy. of Defense Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld was released from the brussels prison where he had been held by now "educated" and terified guards. RUMSFELD immediately flew back to Washington.
Posted by: BigEd   2005-02-04 3:48:57 PM  

#10  Before we get all cranked up about Germany,the article clearly states it is a group of AMERICAN lawyers who are trying to get some publicity,by "jurisdiction shopping". Notice the German court has ignored them for 3 months so far,and will never take the case. The chances are they tried Germany,because Belgium quickly changed its laws over similar idiocy.
Posted by: Stephen   2005-02-04 3:45:16 PM  

#9  To be equally inane about it...

On the other side of the equation, how about issuing arrest warrants for all officials of Old Europe - for cowardice in the face of the enemy - or whatever the legal beagles want to call it?
Posted by: .com   2005-02-04 2:54:39 PM  

#8  We should publically tell the Russians that for $5 billion US, we'll let them have all of Germany without interference this time. Besides, it's time to end the Occupation of Germany anyway. What's our exit strategy Democrats? Isn't 60 years enough time to occupy them?
Posted by: Silentbrick   2005-02-04 2:21:15 PM  

#7  Go, Rummy. But take some of the nastier pieces of work from the HRT along, just in case.
Posted by: mojo   2005-02-04 2:01:23 PM  

#6  Going to war over this idiocy might be a bit extreme, but something has to be done about these idiots. Letting them make fools of themselves is always a great option.

I wonder how they got it in their heads that they had the *right* to prosecute people from other countries for running legitimate military operations. If it was a war of pure conquest, I might (a very small might) agree that maybe they might possibly have the potential for something resembling a probable basis for an argument. But that doesn't cover any of the U.S. operations, and furthermore there would be no benefit to trying that before you'd attempt to arrest people like Mugabe and the mullahs and Kimmie and the Sudan "leaders," all of whom care more about their own power and position than anything else. And not a word about the Syria/Lebanon occupation? I wonder whether they're taking some kind of warped cue from the Nuremberg (sp?) trials?

There is something terribly wrong in Europe when people in Germany seriously suggest arresting the SecDef of the United States, but next door Yassir Arafat is given first-class medical care as his worthless carcass rots and his soul departs on the next train to hell.
Posted by: The Doctor   2005-02-04 1:42:56 PM  

#5  I'd like to add that I'm not jumping on Germany in particular for this, they are just the latest country these idiotic threats have come from.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats   2005-02-04 1:29:50 PM  

#4  Was gonna note that Merkins wouldn't take kindly to that sort of treatment of an elderly citizen just cause he's SECDEF. But then LotR went and illustrated that point very nicely.
Posted by: true nuff   2005-02-04 1:26:32 PM  

#3  I'd go farther than that FrankG, I'd make it equivalent to a declaration of war from Germany, and make sure that they PUBLICLY understand it.

Then let them either PUBLICLY back down or spool up their nanny state military for a real fight.

This crap Europeans have about putting Americans on "trial" for defending this nation has got to end, and frankly I've had it to the point that if it takes another war in Europe to get this across, then so be it.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats   2005-02-04 1:22:20 PM  

#2  I hope he goes and puts them on the spot. If they try to arrest him, it'll be the end of NATO and US protection over Germany. End the bases there.
Posted by: Frank G   2005-02-04 12:39:17 PM  

#1  And nothing like this would happen with the ICC...
Posted by: Pappy   2005-02-04 12:31:38 PM  

00:00