French prosecutors throw out Rumsfeld torture case

[hack89]

Source: Reuters

The Paris prosecutors' office has dismissed a suit against Donald Rumsfeld accusing the former U.S. defense secretary of torture, human rights groups who brought the case said on Friday.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSL238169520071123?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true

[sam sarrha]

1. france is being taken over by Bu$h NeoCon type corporatism..

[So_Cal_Flehm]

8. Actually

It appears there is a greater danger of France being taken over by rioting Islamists and striking communits.

[Richard Steele]

10. Sure there is.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. Oh my god. Not the communits.

:eyes:

[Amonester]

12. yup.

the communitwits for the richest of the riches only...

[Richard Steele]

15. Yup- not the first time we've had trouble with comm units!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

20. Must have been made at freerethuglic

:rofl:

[Richard Steele]

30. "He's dead, Jim."

[GoddessOfGuinness]

32. I wondered how long it would take...

:-)

[Acadia Blue]

28. "Off with their heads," in the French rev. was the right idea. And

certainly a good way to get rid of dirty greedy aristocrats. The French are not mild mannered like the Brits and the Americans.

[sam sarrha]

26. that is why the NeoCon Fascists Dictatorship must take over first..and enslave them

[GoddessOfGuinness]

33. ...

:spray:

[Amonester]

2. Criminal corporations rule (most of) the world.

Is there any other explanation than: "They can buy any so-called 'public servant' they want."?

[Acadia Blue]

29. "New World Order," Reagan, Bush 1, and Clinton made this happen.

A rePIG idea that was supported and lobbied for by our traitor Bill Clinton. Yea, thats what you get wirh filthy corporate democrates. They F us.

[Cha]

3. Says more about

the state of the French prosecutors than it does about whether rummy was the head torturer or not.

[valerief]

4. He threatened to torture them if they proceeded, perhaps? nt

[Gregorian]

5. So that settles it. Everything's just hunky dory.

Like Pinochet, these guys will live out long lives. But like Pinochet, they'll always have to worry.

I thought Germany also had a warrant out for Rumsfeld.

It's sure hard to wait. I just hope justice recovers from it's slumber.

[chill_wind]

6. k&R n/t

[FREEWILL56]

7. Immunity such as given diplomats my ass.

If that were true then the likes of hitler would not have feared prosecution to the point of comitting suicide. What does France fear, the invasion of the freedom fries? There would not be any repercussions like that and we all know they haven't any oil. They should rethink allowing such criminals to go free. This is somewhat ironic though as we can't contain our own criminals that hold high positions in our government.

[boricua79]

9. Why!

If he committed the crime, why bow down to political power and pressure?

God, I wish SOMEHOW these people were accountable...

[jeff30997]

13. I'm barely surprised.

Now France have their own neocons in power.Sarkosy is a damn fascist.

[Progressive Friend]

14. Vichy France II

Just like the original Vichy France, this second one is also a quisling regime.

[jeff30997]

16. Yeah, a butt-quisling regime.

Sarkosy makes me sick.

[Dave From Canada]

17. We know that Iran and Syria torture on a regular basis. When are their officials going to stand

trial? These groups lose credibility when they pick and choose like this. A few years ago, we (Canada) had a journalist beaten to death in Iran for taking pictures outside of a prison. It's fine if they want to go after Rumsfeld, but go after everyone.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3070895.stm

[Amonester]

18. Yeah. Let's go bomb a few million Iranian kids. That'll do it.

Besides, everybody knows Iran invades other countries to steal their resources, namely oil, and torture foreign innocents in order to show them who's their new boss.

OTOH, you've got a point. Who should become the 'International anti-torture police'? Not 'torturers-for-greed' (let's hope)...

[magellan]

24. The groups who brought this case were French and American

...and the prosecution was in France of a former American Defense Secretary. That's hardly "picking and choosing". If Canada wants to go after Syria and Iran, then perhaps Canadian human rights groups should bring suit.

[Andy Canuck]

19. Welcome to the new Vichy Government.

[rockybelt]

21. Maybe

that helps explain the fact that the US is going to set up military training bases in France. Theyre also planning on putting them in Syria and Iran.
Think they go hand in hand?

[Ravachol]

22. Got a link for the military bases in France?

I'm highly surprised by that. France already has a powerful army and french politicians from every side have always been very protective of "France's independence".

As for the main topic, it would be interesting to see on what grounds the case was dismissed.

[Jim Lane]

23. The grounds for the dismissal

According to the linked Reuters article, the French prosecutors explained the dismisal of the case against Rumsfeld on the basis of "a 'customary' immunity from prosecution granted to heads of state and government and foreign ministers, even after they left office". Apparently, this means that the people actually responsible, who ordered the torture or the invasion or whatever, can never be held accountable; conscience will be assuaged by the scapegoating of some low-level schlubs who carried out the orders.

[Ravachol]

25. Uhh...

What kind of stupid dismissal reason is this? More when Chirac was just found guilty and may face jail time? In France, just like in the USA, presidents are immune from prosecution DURING their tenure. Not after.

Really weird. I'd have understood a "it's not our business to deal about this, see the ICC" but this "customary immunity" thing is complete bullshit and stinks at the highest level. Somebody was told to dismiss it or is a right-wing nutjob...

[onehandle]

27. Good. He deserves to be a free and happy statesman. Living his life cheered by a grateful country.

Until the zombies of his victims catch up with him, tear his bloody organs from his living body and eat them as he watches.

"Golly-willickers!"

[Joanne98]

31. It's that fucking neo-con they have for President!