Kenya to US: Keep your cash we’ll keep our dignity(US bribe for ICC immuni

Officials in the Kenyan government reacted harshly today to the news that the US will suspend military aid until Nairobi decides to sign the bilateral agreement guaranteeing immunity for US citizens - civilian and military - before the International Criminal Court (ICC), in case they are charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes or genocide. The main Kenyan daily ‘Daily Nation’, opened today’s edition a long article entitled, ”Kenyans tell Americans enough of This Blackmail”.

The article presents the reactions of representatives, ministers religious leaders to an article from the ‘Sunday Nation’ revealing that Washington has already suspended military aid, which will remain frozen until Nairobi signs the aforementioned bilateral accord. The US has already obtained such agreements using analogous tactics from tens of countries around the world.

The US, in fact, left behind a group of Kenyan officers ready to leave for a training course in the US while they have threatened to cancel the latest military aid package and joint training exercises. “We have to uphold our principles and resist the blackmail from the Americans,” said the minister of the interior Newton Kulundu. “They can keep their dollars and we our dignity.

Americans are not the only ones capable of training our military, perhaps it’s time we started looking elsewhere, the EU, South Africa, China or even Japan,” said parliamentary representative Muite. The cabinet minister Kulundu then noted cases of violence committed by US military personnel against prisoners in their custody, in Iraq or in Afghanistan or in Guantanamo. “Precisely because America is a democracy it should be committed to follow international rules and abstain from applying two weights and two measurements”.

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=6229

"...bilateral agreement guaranteeing immunity for US citizens - civilian and military - before the International Criminal Court (ICC), in case they are charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes or genocide. ...."

We are buying protection for Rumsfeld and Dick et al?

How many countries have been solicited? How many signed?

Many many countries have signed the agreement. The only hold-outs have been most South American countries. Now it appears Kenya has joined the countries who will not be bribed.

- and just after I first heard that disgusting arrangement reported here in the UK, the US bombed an Afghan wedding "by mistake".

It's been going on for quite a while now...

Kenya doesn't seem to want our brand of bombs and bloodshed.

_Bush started this extreme weirdness the moment he stole office. I've NEVER heard of anything this sinister.

If he doesn't want Americans to be held responsible for war crimes and genocide, he by God should make sure he doesn't order them to commit these unpardonable sins.

Furthermore, Americans should start refusing to obey orders they know are evil.

and get out of jail free cards! Something stinks here to high heaven and it ain't my feet! :mad:

It should be illegal for a government to use money in this manner!!!

...and those that are resisting.

no major countries have signed a waiver with the US just many small ones who, no doubt, were threatened with withdrawal of aid unless they signed:

http://www.iccnow.org/documents/USandICC/WICC_BIAtable_6Oct04.pdf

This link is excellent in covering more details on the US push for Bilateral Immunity Agreements:

http://www.iccnow.org/documents/USandICC/BIAs.html

WELL DONE!

...watch the outtakes of a new documentary called Preventive Warriors at Democracy Now!'s website.

It's nothing many here don't already know: the US is no longer a republic but a global empire, akin to Rome. The sole objective of the radicals now running this country is to maintain our position of military and economic dominance, and that means crushing any challenge to their authority. And as it goes with empire, the rulers consider themselves exempt from the domestic and international laws everyone else is expected to live by. They PRIDE themselves on their double standards; it's an integral part of their ideology and policy. They cannot be shamed or talked out of it. They will not "come to their senses".

'Preventive Warriors' tied up all the loose threads for me. If you don't understand why BushCo is strong-arming all who oppose them and not being held accountable for its actions, watch this documentary.

You may well wish you were one of the kool-aid crowd afterwards.

I love the ring to it.

You keep your money, we'll keep our dignity.

<http://www.gwynnedyer.net/articles/Gwynne%20Dyer%20article_%20%20Kenya.txt>

but kudos for saying no.