The Spanish judge famous for trying to prosecute the late Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet has now set his sights on six former Bush era officials.Judge Baltasar Garzon has requested that prosecutors examine a complaint filed last year against former attorney general Alberto Gonzales and five others. The criminal case corresponds to allegations over human rights abuses at the controversial prison camp at the Guantanamo Bay military base. Spanish officials will decide if the case has merit; “if the case is opened, an investigation would be required, testimony and so on. There is a long way to go," said one senior Spanish official over the weekend.
There has been little comment from Gonzales and the others accused under an international law doctrine known as the principle of universal justice:
"The charges as related to me make no sense," (ex-undersecretary of defense for policy Douglas) Feith said Saturday. "They criticize me for promoting a controversial position that I never advocated"…(Hat tip: FARK.com).
Spanish law allows courts to reach beyond national borders in cases of torture or war crimes under a doctrine of universal justice, though the government has recently said it hopes to limit the scope of the legal process.
Garzon became famous for bringing charges against former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1998, and he and other Spanish judges have agreed to investigate alleged abuses everywhere from Tibet to Argentina's "dirty war," El Salvador and Rwanda.
Still, the country's record in prosecuting such cases has been spotty at best, with only one suspect extradited to Spain so far.
Image- CTV.ca (“Former-Attorney general nominee Alberto Gonzales testifies during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2005.”)
Online Sources- FARK.com, Los Angeles Times, washingtonpost.com, New York Times
3 comments:
Spain May Indict Gonzales & 5 Others for Torture? WOW!!
The same Spain that should be convicted for the deaths of maybe tens of millions of people in Latin America, and funding an entire empire from the rape and plunder of said region ? For hundreds of years ??
Can you imagine the reparations from that plunder ?
Trillions..
The same Spain who religiously persecuted hundreds of thousands of Jews and Muslims, committing all levels of war crimes in their effort to remove all non Catholics from Iberia?
The same Spain that continues to hold African colonial territory ?
The same Spain ruled by a dictator for longer than Hitler, committing all manners of crimes and persecution against its own people, to the point that now all memorials against Franco are gone, and even saying his name can create troubles ??
Seriously, Baltasar Garzon & Bush haters, stop drinking the kool aid.
There are few countries in Europe that have as much blood on their hands
Than the Spanish, even Nazi Germany would have a tough time keeping up.
Maybe this prosecutor should open a history book once in a while,
He'll find a lot more in his own backyard than Bush and co. Could ever have done.
Spain has been criminal for centuries.
So, this is just some bullshit waste of time joke to get some free press for the personal glory of an individual, whose levels of hypocrisy could only be exceeded by those who could actually support this nonsense.
YES! The same Spain that provides aid to IberoAmerica, the same Spain that goes after their corrupt and human right violating leaders, and yes the same Spain that openly apologies and does make reparations...even to the Jews, the same Spain and judge going after the death of Lorca, and Franco's regime...making amends and doing right is not bullshit nor a waste a time
Baltasar Garzon is, by his own standards (not mine), a criminal.
If Spain's laws extend to the United States, then those of the United States extend to Spain. Attendance at an animal fight (just paying for admission and being a spectator) is a felony in Pennsylvania and many other states.
An online bio of Senor Garzon says he is a fan of bullfights, a "sport" in which Spanish cowards torture a relatively helpless animal to death. I assume this means he attends them as opposed to just reading about them, and attendance at such an event would be a felony or at least a misdemeanor in all but one or two states.
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