George Bush's Nightmare Comes True - For Someone Else

[babylonsister]

George Bush's Nightmare Comes True - For Someone Else

by Dennis Jett | April 25, 2009
April 22, 2009

Commentary: Fujimori's conviction should give Bush nightmares

Dennis Jett | Special to McClatchy Newspapers


There was a truly remarkable news item recently that received less notice than it deserved. A former president was tried, convicted and sentenced to a long jail term for crimes committed in his government's fight against terrorism.

No, this was not George W. Bush's worst nightmare come true. The story came from Peru where Alberto Fujimori was found to be responsible for the killing of a number of innocent civilians by government death squads. The conviction of Fujimori, who had been president from 1990 to 2000, was a rare triumph of justice over the impunity of power and was the first time in Latin America that an ex-president had been called to account in such a manner.

This happened even though Fujimori had a number of accomplishments to his credit as president. He brought Peru's rampant terrorism under control, reformed its economy and signed a peace treaty with Ecuador ending a long-standing border dispute. Had he stepped down in 2000 with that as his record, he probably would have never been brought to trial. Instead he attempted to perpetuate himself in power by rigging his second reelection. He no doubt thought that, in office, the judicial system was too weak to try him and that, out of office, it would be used against him.

The charges against him were not new, but they did not move forward until he had been so thoroughly discredited that he was forced to resign from office and flee the country. He initially went into exile in Japan, but he then made the mistake of going to Chile – a country willing to extradite him.

The official U.S. Government reaction to the outcome of the trial was "This verdict is a powerful statement against impunity, and underscores the importance of the rule of law as a foundation of democratic government." This press guidance was never used, however, as no journalist bothered to ask the State Department. Perhaps no one wanted to embarrass Washington since there is no small irony in all this.

With new revelations every day, there can be no doubt the Bush administration used torture and committed other illegal acts during its so-called war on terror. The International Committee of the Red Cross, the State Department lawyer responsible for detainee cases, the top Bush administration official in charge of deciding whether to bring detainees at Guantanamo to trial have all concluded that acts of torture were committed.

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http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/21474

[Doctor_J]

1. People in the 3rd world have more control over their government

than we here in the "model democracy" do.

It's all over for the American Experiment.

[Demeter]

2. It Ain't Over Till the Fat Lady Sings

oh ye of little faith!

[radiclib]

3. What do you expect from a banana republic?

To the freepers, this is the kind of vicious vengeance you'd expect from commondantes in mirrored sunglasses. Just like Obama. Credit to Turd Blossom.
(won't insult with sarcasm thingie)