We Dare Not Blink

by Ramsey Clark
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen; my congratulations and gratitude to Canada’s peace movement and its many organizations and individuals protesting the March 17th, 2009 appearance of former US President George W. Bush for a speech at a “private” lunch in Calgary.

 

Former U.S. Attorney General Clark calls for Bush arrest.

 

While the primary responsibility for addressing the Bush administration’s involvement in crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity rests with the people of the United States, because we both enabled then failed to arrest his acts, there is necessarily universal jurisdiction over such crimes if humanity is to end the scourge of war.

We dare not blink at the magnitude, diversity and pervasive impact of the known crimes committed by the Bush administration. Wars of aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Supreme International Crime, have killed hundreds of thousands outright, wounded, sickened and malnourished many more than they have killed and sent millions as refugees to neighboring nations while rendering homeless millions more.

 

Indiscriminate killing of civilians, summary execution, arbitrary seizures of people and property, secret unlimited detention and torture have been authorized, widely practiced and both defended and denied publicly. President Bush, the self-proclaimed “decider,” reached for unlimited dictatorial power whenever he proclaimed the national security was threatened. And he considered himself above the law where domestic affairs were concerned even a he signed Acts of Congress into law.

A culture of corruption in contracting for security services, war relief programs, reconstruction in war- devastated countries have unjustly enriched favored predators abroad while at home mortgage lenders, banks, insurance companies and corporate executives exploited Bush administration policies intending enrichment of the rich that with the radically increased national war debt and military spending have led to the collapse of the global economy, threatening massive unemployment and world wide depression with all their consequences for the general welfare.

Widespread illegal surveillance, at home and abroad, persecution, harassment of and discrimination against Muslims, other minorities and against political opposition by U.S. government agencies- the Immigration Service, Border Patrol, IRS, FBI, prosecution by the Department of Justice- have violated the most precious rights of citizens and aliens alike, injured the United States in international relations and cooperation and made new enemies of many nations. Corrupt conduct by Bush politicized appointees, committing crimes in at least six Executive Departments, most notably Interior and Justice, has brought lawlessness into the government bureaucracy itself, costing billions of dollars and creating distrust of government.

Having failed to impeach President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and other Civil officers of the U.S. for their supreme international crime while they were in office, a broad coalition of peace, human rights, labor, law, environmental and other organizations are now vigorously seeking U.S. prosecution for their crimes. Your acts in common cause are an enormous encouragement.

With unity, cooperation and perseverance, we shall overcome, or be undone, together. We dare not fail.


Ramsey Clark,  March 12, 2009

(Former U.S, Attorney General)


Short Biography: William Ramsey Clark (born December 18, 1927) is a lawyer and former United States Attorney General. He worked for the U.S. Department of Justice, which included service as the 66th United States Attorney General under President Lyndon B. Johnson. He is an activist known for his continuing advocacy for the civil and human rights causes.