Transnational Justice Matters: An ICC Overview

Student at National Law University in Dehli Rakesh Roshan’s insightful article discussing the International Criminal Court raises the question of what means are available to convince non-ICC nations United States, Russia, China, India and others to sign the Rome Statute and agree to come under the jurisdiction of the ICC.

Imagine you as a citizen of your town or city are deterred by laws against committing brutal crimes, but that citizens in the town or city next to yours have no similar laws, no deterrence against the same brutal crimes, and that citizens in the town or city next to yours commit brutal (war) crimes – with impunity.

That simple analogy makes clear why universal ICC membership as a goal is possibly the most important challenge facing this generation of humanity on Earth.

World peace is possible.

International Law Square

By Rakesh Roshan*

On 1^st July 2017, the International Criminal Court completed 15 years. While there are 24 cases that have been brought before the Court, it has only managed to convict 4 individuals in all these years, but it is hoped that it carries to deliver universal justice in an unprecedented manner.

Source: About ICC

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Historic Yemen Peace Rally Draws Sea Of Humanity.

By Jerry Alatalo

Saudi-led war crimes, destruction of Yemen and its people reaches two years

ne can’t help but wonder about the nature of U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration’s response to images of  hundreds of thousands of Yemeni people in Yemen’s capitol city of Sana’a, gathered in protest against continued Saudi war crimes, and calling for peace.

Perhaps Mr. Trump will go to his Twitter account and comment on the massive gathering, which looks from video recordings to surpass one million in attendance, with something along the lines of: “Fantastic rally in Yemen! The size of the crowd must have broken the record… Super organizers! Just fantastic and beautiful..”

People will remember Mr. Trump leading the way in what he described as a “record” length of applause during a presidential address to Congress, and that the applause record related with recent U.S. military events in Yemen. One might not become surprised or disappointed if Mr. Trump has very different perceptions of the one record (set inside Congress), and the other – an absolutely massive gathering of Yemeni people demanding an end to the war.

Similarly, one has to wonder how British Prime Minister Theresa May and her people responded to images of the overflowing Sana’a crowd. Perhaps, like Mr. Trump and his administration, Ms. May’s group will remain silent for fear of people raising their voices to end weapons sales to Saudi Arabia’s royal family (you know, the owners of the country).

It is highly unlikely Donald Trump or Theresa May offers any approving, encouraging commentary – or responds at all – on the massive number of people gathered to demand peace after enduring two years of war. Unfortunately for the people of Yemen, both Ms. May and  Mr. Trump perceive their historic peace rally event as bad news and negatively.

Unfortunately for Ms. May and Mr. Trump, those who are following developments in Yemen perceive such an enormous display of human unity – focused on peace – as a positive development having the potential to inspire millions of others around the world.

“The Donald”: (Record applause…)… “Make Yemen great again!…”

But this is so much more serious…

***

War crimes, up to and including genocide

Saudi Arabia – with the full knowledge, criminal assistance, and weapons from the United States, Britain and others under Donald Trump, Theresa May, etc. – is guilty of the crime of genocide against the Yemeni people. Help bring peace soon to the suffering men, women and children of Yemen.

(Thank you to PressTV News Videos at YouTube)

Syria “Fact Checker”: U.S., West Assertions Defy Reality.

By Jerry Alatalo

eter Ford, Britain’s Ambassador to Bahrain (1999-2003) and Syria (2003-2006), holds a different perspective of Syria than either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. Perhaps Mr. Ford can act as one of Ms. Clinton’s “fact checkers” so she’ll share the full truth with the American people during Wednesday’s 3rd (Jill Stein-free) and final presidential debate with Mr. Trump. Why does it feel as if a lot of otherwise well-informed people don’t see that occurring, and, for the majority of Americans totally uninformed and/or lied to about Syria – couldn’t care less?

George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Tony Blair and their war criminal accomplices lied the world into war with Iraq in 2003. Barack Obama, Joe Biden, David Cameron, Hillary Clinton and their respective war criminal accomplices lied the world into destroying Libya in 2011. Despite the clear evidence of a pattern of major criminal deception by America’s “deep state” – described and referenced a million times since articulated by U.S. General Wesley Clark, attacking and overthrowing “seven countries in five years” – expect the same deception from Clinton and Trump in “debate” #3.

Neither Clinton or Trump will mention Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Israel and U.S./Western support – from the start of the war on Syria in 2011 until today – for ISIS, al Nusra (al Qaeda) and dozens of other mercenary terrorist groups, with fighters coming from some 80-100 countries outside Syria. Do not expect either Clinton or Trump to place the blame for the humanitarian catastrophe inflicted upon the people of Syria where it belongs: foreign fighters/terrorists and the war criminal leaders in nations responsible for paying, arming, training, supplying and directing them.

Clinton calls for a no-fly zone in Syria which straight out means war with Syria and Russia. Most Americans will hear Clinton’s no-fly zone proposal and think: “Hey, that’s good… no more bombs raining down on the kids in Syria…” Donald Trump will fail, again, to correct Clinton’s twisted no-fly zone narrative and tell the American people it means war with Syria and Russia, possibly escalating to world war, the use of nuclear weapons, and the unthinkable.

Absent a political miracle in the remaining 22 days until election day where Jill Stein and Ajamu Baraka pull off the greatest upset in U.S. presidential election history, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will become the next President of the United States. That both deny legitimate candidates having the mathematical chance of winning the opportunity to debate, and that both will likely continue to flat-out lie about Syria to millions of Americans watching the final debate – should result in a lot of people in the U.S. and around the Earth putting forth serious prayers seeking the miraculous.

(Thank you to GoingUndergroundRT at YouTube)