Former Counterterrorism Czar Richard Clarke: Bush, Cheney Committed War Crimes

[orphanedhawk]

Richard Clarke, the nation’s top counterterrorism official under former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, accused Bush and former Vice President **** Cheney of committing war crimes in their 2003 invasion of Iraq during an interview Tuesday with Democracy Now! that will air next week.

"I think things that they authorized probably fall within the area of war crimes. Whether that would be productive or not, I think, is a discussion we could all have,” said Clarke, who resigned in 2003 after the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq. “But we have established procedures now with the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where people who take actions as serving presidents or prime ministers of countries have been indicted and have been tried.”

In the first-ever judgment of its kind, Bush and seven other top members of his administration were convicted in absentia of war crimes in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2012 for the unlawful invasion of Iraq.

“So the precedent is there to do that sort of thing. And I think we need to ask ourselves whether or not it would be useful to do that in the case of members of the Bush administration,” Clarke continued. “It’s clear that things that the Bush administration did -- in my mind, at least, it’s clear that some of the things they did were war crimes."
Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, former Secretary of State Colin Powell's chief of staff, also accused Cheney of war crimes in 2011, citing the former vice president's affinity for enhanced interrogation techniques.

"Waterboarding is a war crime, unwarranted surveillance ... all of which are crimes," Wilkerson said in 2011. "I don't care whether the president authorized him to do it or not, they are crimes."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/29/richard-clarke-george-bush-war-crimes_n_5410619.html

[orphanedhawk]

I agree they are war criminals as is Obama~ for his involvement with drone strikes.

Sorry you have trash on your mind Vance. I suggest a bath.

[Vance2335]

I am going to break down again why Clarke is 100% and a tool.

Resolution 1441 passed by the UN gave authorization for the invasion. Iraq breaking the cease fire agreement gave authorization for invasion. So there are 2 legal authorizations for invasion of Iraq. But because Clarke is a tool he wants to ignore them.

As for the enhanced interrogation...waterboarding is not a crime. It is frown upon but not a crime. My friend in the marines was waterboarded as part of his training. So if waterboarding is a crime then the whole military in the US are committing crimes.
As for the survillance, he does know that it was started under Clinton and Bush continued it, but what they did was intercept the calls in international terroitory before they hit US soil from terrorist known nations. Under our current King he has authorized survillance on Americans.

Think they want to rethink these accusation and think you might want to do some more digging before you jump on the band wagon.

[R Glass]

“ unwarranted surveillance ... all of which are crimes,"

Funny how the Huff/ National Enquirer Post failed to include President Barry!

[teko]

I thought it was well known about the war crimes? Bush and Cheney are not invited to certain countries and if they go, they will be arrested and charged with such.

I also have often wondered why the president didnt persue charges as well. Im guessing he figured it would not provide a good working relationship.