Iran, Bush & Nuremberg

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=67&ItemID=10325

<snip>Article VI of the U.S. Constitution: “This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land...”

Chapter 1, Articles 3 and 4 of the United Nations Charter: a treaty which the U.S. not only signed but had a major role in bringing to life: “All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered. All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.” snip

The Nuremberg Charter, Section II Article 6: “The following acts, or any of them, are crimes coming within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal for which there shall be individual responsibility: (a) Crimes Against Peace: namely, planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression, or a war in violation of international treaties...”

In 1946, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted Resolution 95 (1), affirming “the principles of International Law recognized by the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal and the judgment of the Tribunal.” <snip>

The men and women in the Bush administration are not possessed of any unusual innate or acquired characteristics or privileges which render them above the law. To the contrary, they are public servants and we hired them to preserve, protect and defend the law.

And while many Americans may have difficulty visualizing these people under arrest and on trial, the legacy of the Sixth Commandment, of Nuremberg, of the U.N. Charter and of the U.S. Constitution is clear.

It sets a bona fide precedent over the head of any future president be they Democrat or Republican, and if the goal of the game is to win power and project power not just at home but abroad, then such a notion represents a hinderance, a limitation on that power.

When it comes to foreign policy, the Democratic presidents in the past have proven hardly better than their Republican counterparts.

would never leave anyone's mind both here in the US and throughout the world. He'll never enjoy the courtesy and respect other former American presidents receive overseas.