News

War Crimes conference: Planning for the prosecution of high level American war criminals

by TRNN

WAR CRIMES CONFERENCE FROM ANDOVER ON STREAMING VIDEO SEPT. 13-14

In the tradition of Justice Robert H. Jackson, America's Chief Prosecutor at the Nuremburg War Crimes Trials after World War II, the Conference's purpose is "to promote efforts to hold culpable officials accountable in courts of law," said the conference's convener, Lawrence Velvel, a prominent legal educator.

"Otherwise, the future could be threatened by additional examples of Executive lawlessness by leaders who need fear no personal consequences" for their actions, leading to "the possibility of more Viet Nams, and more Iraqs," he added.

[At this hour, (11:30 am pdt) the signal is down, interrupted as it has been whenever the questions get interesting (see comments below). - lex]

Attendees will hear from prominent authorities on international law, criminal prosecutions, and constitutional law who are determined to give meaning to Justice Jackson's words: "The common sense of mankind demands that law shall not stop with the punishment of petty crimes by little people. It must also reach men who possess themselves of great power and make deliberate and concerted use of it to set in motion evils which leave no home in the world untouched."

Topics to be discussed, include:

* What international and domestic crimes were committed, which facts show crimes under which laws, and what punishments are possible.

* Which high level Executive officials — and Federal judges and legislators as well, if any — are chargeable with crimes.

* Which international tribunals, foreign tribunals and domestic tribunals (if any) can be used and how to begin cases and/or obtain prosecutions before them.

* The possibility of establishing a Chief Prosecutor's Office such as the one at Nuremburg.

* An examination of cases already brought and their outcomes.

* Creating an umbrella Coordinating Committee with representatives from the increasing number of organizations involved in war crimes cases.

* Creating a Center to keep track of and organize compilations of relevant briefs, articles, books, opinions, and facts, etc., on war crimes and prosecutions of war criminals.

Those scheduled to address the Conference include, among others:

Famed former Los Angeles prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, author of the best-selling "The Prosecution of George W. Bush For Murder"(Vanguard).

Phillippe Sands, Professor of Law and Director of the Centre of International Courts and Tribunals at University College , London . He is the author of "Torture Team: Rumsfeld's Memo and the Betrayal of American Values" (Penguin/Palgrave Macmillan), among other works.

Jordan Paust, Professor of Law at the University of Houston and author of "Beyond The Law."

Ann Wright, a former U.S. Army colonel and U.S. Foreign Service official who holds a State Department Award for Heroism and who taught the Geneva Conventions and the Law of Land Warfare at the Special Warfare Center at Ft. Bragg, N.C. She is the coauthor of "Dissent: Voices of Conscience."

Peter Weiss, Vice President of the Center For Constitutional Rights, which was recently involved with war crimes complaints filed in Germany and France against former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and others.

Benjamin Davis, Associate Professor at the University of Toledo College of Law and former American Legal Counsel for the Secretariat of the International Court of Arbitration.

David Lindorff, journalist and co-author with Barbara Olshansky of "The Case for Impeachment: Legal Arguments for Removing President George W. Bush from Office"( St. Martin 's Press).

Colleen Costello of Human Rights USA .

Christopher Pyle, a professor at Mt. Holyoke and author of several book on international matters.

Lawrence Velvel, a leader in the field of law school education reform, who has written numerous internet articles on issues relevant to the conference.





 
DavidV 2008-09-13


Just as Vincent Bugliosi was about to answer a critical question from the conference convener, suddenly it went off the air again ! WTF ?
media critic 2008-09-13


Like the previous question, why is the stream disconnected when a good question is asked. In this case, can District Attorneys file a case for war crimes against those who deserve it, and can a state attorney general stop a DA from doing so.
kurpaska 2008-09-13


anyone know what's going on ? are there blogs elsewhere re: Real News ? very strange. cant wait to hear Bugliosi. his book is well worth the read.
evarney650 2008-09-13


One could only hope that "one's sense of it" is not correct, that the feed was interupted purposefully as this question is extremely important today. This group in power today would, in my opinion, not want the American people to know just how illegal the actions against the soveriegn state of Pakistan, as well as the states of Iraq, Afghanistan and Georgia are. If the feed is reinstated, I would be willing to wager that when V. Bugliosi gets his turn, it will be shut down again. I urge everyone to read "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder" by Mr. Buliosi
DavidV 2008-09-13


at 12:15 E.S.T., just as the question was asked about the bombing of Pakistan constituting preemptive war, suddenly the conference went off the air. What the hell happened??