Can A War Criminal Be Set Free?

Is The Case Against Charles Taylor Falling Apart? -- Der Spiegel

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor has been on trial in The Hague for the last three years. The International Criminal Court accuses him of mass murder, rape and acts of terror. But the most promising prospect of using international law to punish a former dictator is threatening to fail.

The court is not spared anything, including this cross-examination on the subject of cannibalism.

Question: "How do you prepare a human being for a pot?" The witness: "We lay you down, slit your throat und butcher you and throw your head away, your intestines."

This is more than the court wants to hear. The audience turns away in disgust.

"With pepper and salt," the witness adds.

Read more ....

My Comment: Long time readers of this blog know that I have been advocate for special courts that are specifically structured to prosecute war criminals and individuals responsible for unspeakable crimes. Lets face it, an Osama bin Laden cannot be convicted in a regular court room today. The real evidence is not there, and what has been obtained has been on the battlefield and/or in interrogation rooms.

The sad fact is that war criminals will not leave a paper trial, a long list of witnesses who received orders directly from the accused, and/or subordinates who will be more than willing to testify against their former leader. We can see this happening in the Hague today, in which the International Criminal Court has tons and tons of documents that detail war crimes against Charles Taylor, but little if any evidence linking the accused with them.

So .... will Charles Taylor be set free? In the present situation, I would not be surprised.

Defending A War Criminal: Charles Taylor's Defense Lawyer Speaks

Courtenay Griffiths has worked for some of Britain's most reviled criminals during his 25-year career Photo: Raymond Preston

Charles Taylor Is 'One Of My Easier Clients' Says War Crimes Lawyer Courtenay Griffiths -- The Telegraph

Courtenay Griffiths, the flamboyant defence lawyer for Charles Taylor, talks to Jane Flanagan about Naomi Campbell, diamonds and defending the 'indefensible'.

His swashbuckling style and use of rap lyrics during cross-examination has made Courtenay Griffiths an unexpected star of the Charles Taylor blood diamonds trial.

Now the Jamaican-born QC, who has worked for some of Britain's most reviled criminals during his 25-year career, is making a last-ditch bid to bolster the defence of Taylor, the Liberian warlord-turned-president who is his latest notorious client.

Read more ....

My Comment: If Charles Taylor is one of Courtenay Griffiths' 'easier' clients .... who are his worse clients!!!!!

International Court Starts First War Crimes Trial
-- Yahoo News/Reuters

THE HAGUE (Reuters) – A Congolese militia leader will be the first suspect to go on trial at the International Criminal Court on Monday, in a test of the credibility of the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal.

Thomas Lubanga, who founded and led the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) in Congo's eastern Ituri district, is accused of enlisting and conscripting children under the age of 15 to kill members of the Lendu ethnic group during the 1998-2003 war.

Ethnic violence in the Ituri region between the Hema and Lendu and clashes between militia groups vying for control of mines and taxation have killed 60,000 people since 1999.

Read more ....

More News On War Crime Trials

Congolese warlord to go on trial at int'l court -- International Herald Tribune
A look at the International Criminal Court -- International Herald Tribune
DRC: ICC’s First Trial Focuses on Child Soldiers -- Human Rights Tribune
Rights groups hail trial of DRC warlord -- Afrique en lingne
Here comes the court -- Globe And Mail commentary

U.S. Delays First War Crimes Trial Pending Ruling

From MSNBC:

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A military judge on Friday postponed the first war crimes tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, saying he wants to wait until the Supreme Court makes its highly anticipated ruling on the right of detainees to challenge their confinement in civil courts.

Navy Capt. Keith Allred ruled the trial for Osama bin Laden’s former driver should be delayed seven weeks, until July 21, in case the Supreme Court ruling affects his case. He scheduled pretrial hearings to begin a week earlier.

A Supreme Court ruling is expected by June 30. Defense lawyers for Salim Ahmed Hamdan, whose trial was scheduled to start June 2, had requested a postponement. Military prosecutors had said they were eager to go to trial.

Read more ....

UPDATE: The Counter Terrorism Blog describes who is a typical Gitmo inmate.

My Comment: It has been almost 7 years since 9-11. The Nuremberg Trials, after having the frame work decided upon during the war(1943 - 1945), proceeded very quickly at the conclusion of the Second World War taking at least four more years to complete all trials. It is a shame that the first war crimes tribunal at Guantanamo Bay cannot proceed in such a fashion.

Or is it?

I guess it is a testament to the times that these trials were delayed in the hope that intelligence and other information can be obtained from the prisoners ..... and when it is determined that no more information can be obtained, the preparations for trials can then proceed.

If this is the case, then we are really in the beginning of the legal process, and its conclusion will take a few years. If the Nuremberg Trials can be used as a standard, we are looking at four more years of legal arguments, trial, and final judgement.

Maybe valuable intelligence that prevented other attacks was gathered from the prisoners during this time, but on another level justice must be served ....... and in my opinion, the sooner justice is rendered the better it will be for all. It has personally been frustrating to see these prisoners receive the sympathy and support from not only many in the Muslim world, but also from the West. I can hope that just like the Nuremberg Trials, the war crime trials in Guantanamo Bay will also show the barbarism and inhumanity of these men .... men who clearly have no place to exist in a civilized world.