Friday, March 6, 2020

THE ICC and the TRUMP TORTURE MACHINE ROLLS ON.....

It is ironic but on March 4th two things happened. First, and must to my glee the International Criminal Court has agreed to investigate the war crimes from the Afghanistan war. The time frame starts with May of 2003. I am not sure how that date was picked as it leaves out some important evidence. However, the important thing is that there will be an investigation. I spent time as a visiting professional at the court in 2008. In my own way I have been pushing for an investigation since that time. And I have at the ready my own investigative documents. I know this will be a battle but since things tend to drag on at the ICC there is a good chance that Afghanistan will still be under investigation when (or if) we finally get a president and congress that believes in the rule of law. You can read more about the ICC's decision here.

The second thing that happened on March 4th is that Trump appointed one of the facilitators of the torture program to be his "nuclear envoy."  Keeping to the Trump playbook the man has a long record as a hawk on nuclear issues.

 "The proposed special negotiator, Marshall Billingslea, is currently the under-secretary for terrorist financing at the US Treasury. His nomination last year for a top human rights job at the state department was stalled by controversy over the extent of his involvement in the torture programme established by the George W Bush administration, in which he oversaw the conditions of detainees in Guantánamo Bay."

Sigh. You can read more here if you dare....