Bush found guilty of war crimes.
May 12, 2012 9:24 PM Subscribe
Mahathir Mohamed, the former long time PM of Malaysia, has set up the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission. They just found Bush guilty of war crimes.
This post was deleted for the following reason: This is interesting, but a bit misleading. Perhaps a repost with more info about the official/legal nature of the action, or a wider look at such tribunals. -- taz
Ooh. Not that it'll come to anything, but that's going to be diplomatically awkward.
posted by figurant at 9:33 PM on May 12, 2012
posted by figurant at 9:33 PM on May 12, 2012
This will matter in 53357, 53358, 53359.....
posted by eriko at 9:34 PM on May 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by eriko at 9:34 PM on May 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Sadly, leotrotsky, this comission is just the retired guy's hobby horse and has no official standing anywhere, as far as I understand it.
posted by Meatbomb at 9:34 PM on May 12, 2012
posted by Meatbomb at 9:34 PM on May 12, 2012
Islamic country hates Bush - wow, that's a real surprise.
posted by blaneyphoto at 9:35 PM on May 12, 2012
posted by blaneyphoto at 9:35 PM on May 12, 2012
A symbolic War Crimes Tribunal in Malaysia has found former US President George W. Bush and several other members of his administration guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Mahatir should have visited my apartment circa 2004. A symbolic war crimes tribunal composed of myself, a half-full bottle of scotch, three roaches, an old television set and a pile of shoes brought the same verdict. Night after night.
I swear, if any of those motherfuckers had come by, I'd have thrown the book at them.
posted by R. Schlock at 9:42 PM on May 12, 2012 [6 favorites]
Mahatir should have visited my apartment circa 2004. A symbolic war crimes tribunal composed of myself, a half-full bottle of scotch, three roaches, an old television set and a pile of shoes brought the same verdict. Night after night.
I swear, if any of those motherfuckers had come by, I'd have thrown the book at them.
posted by R. Schlock at 9:42 PM on May 12, 2012 [6 favorites]
Now, more than ever, we need Derek Zoolander
posted by ShutterBun at 9:47 PM on May 12, 2012
posted by ShutterBun at 9:47 PM on May 12, 2012
Mahatir Mohamed seems like a paranoid nut. He apparently subscribes to 9/11 conspiracy theories.
posted by BobbyVan at 9:48 PM on May 12, 2012
posted by BobbyVan at 9:48 PM on May 12, 2012
Meatbomb: "Mahathir Mohamed, the former long time PM of Malaysia, has set up the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission. They just found Bush guilty of war crimes."
*yawn*
Wake me when someone who isn't a raging antisemite weighs in on the topic. That asshole's not worth taking seriously.
posted by zarq at 9:52 PM on May 12, 2012
*yawn*
Wake me when someone who isn't a raging antisemite weighs in on the topic. That asshole's not worth taking seriously.
posted by zarq at 9:52 PM on May 12, 2012
So Bush is guiltless because you think Mahathir Mohamed is a raging antisemite?
posted by fredludd at 9:56 PM on May 12, 2012
posted by fredludd at 9:56 PM on May 12, 2012
fredludd: "So Bush is guiltless because you think Mahathir Mohamed is a raging antisemite?"
I think it is more that, regardless of Bush's relative guilt or innocence of whatever, the results of this antisemitic nutjob's tribunal are likely less interesting and less meaningful than R. Schlock's drunk roach committee mentioned upthread.
posted by Blasdelb at 10:04 PM on May 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
I think it is more that, regardless of Bush's relative guilt or innocence of whatever, the results of this antisemitic nutjob's tribunal are likely less interesting and less meaningful than R. Schlock's drunk roach committee mentioned upthread.
posted by Blasdelb at 10:04 PM on May 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
a) Mahathir's unambiguously a raging antisemite.
b) I did not say Bush was guiltless. Nor was that implied.
c) If and when someone worth listening to and respecting spearheads an objective war crimes tribunal, great. But Mahathir's not credible, nor objective, by any stretch of the imagination.
posted by zarq at 10:05 PM on May 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
b) I did not say Bush was guiltless. Nor was that implied.
c) If and when someone worth listening to and respecting spearheads an objective war crimes tribunal, great. But Mahathir's not credible, nor objective, by any stretch of the imagination.
posted by zarq at 10:05 PM on May 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
This will matter in 53357, 53358, 53359.....
14 hours and change?
posted by jason_steakums at 10:06 PM on May 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
14 hours and change?
posted by jason_steakums at 10:06 PM on May 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
So, possibly any effort associated with Mahathir Mohamed will stand in the way of a serious prosecution by some more legitimate body?
posted by fredludd at 10:10 PM on May 12, 2012
posted by fredludd at 10:10 PM on May 12, 2012
R. Schlock's drunk roach committee ... is my second-favorite GBV song title.
posted by joe lisboa at 10:14 PM on May 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by joe lisboa at 10:14 PM on May 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
It's a symbolic tribunal. In other words, this was a bit of theater. It couldn't possibly stand in the way of a genuine prosecution. In fact, I don't know whether international law recognises the concept of double jeopardy: it's quite possible that any body capable of enforcing its jurisdiction (i.e., not this one) could carry out separate prosecutions.
posted by Joe in Australia at 10:15 PM on May 12, 2012
posted by Joe in Australia at 10:15 PM on May 12, 2012
The International War Crimes Tribunal found Bush the Elder, et al. guilty of war crimes in 1992 for his Iraq war. There's a tradition of privately organized tribunals dating back to at least Bertrand Russell and the Russell Tribunal.
posted by ob1quixote at 10:18 PM on May 12, 2012
posted by ob1quixote at 10:18 PM on May 12, 2012
Nothing will come of this, however it's interesting that
If this court found Omar al Bashir or Bashar al Assad or perhaps even Joseph Kony or Ghadaffi or Mubarak of something, would that prevent prosecution sometime later in the hauge?
Why would it... it makes no sense.
More importantly, though, what 'legitimate' body is even looking into this?
Most likely, this will simply mean that Bush is unable to travel freely to Malyasia, as many former US government officials (like Henry Kissinger) unable to travel to various countries due to war crimes issues
posted by delmoi at 10:19 PM on May 12, 2012
a) Mahathir's unambiguously a raging antisemite.He just setup the commission. It's run by
So, possibly any effort associated with Mahathir Mohamed will stand in the way of a serious prosecution by some more legitimate body?No? How on earth would that be true? I don't even get the logic here...
If this court found Omar al Bashir or Bashar al Assad or perhaps even Joseph Kony or Ghadaffi or Mubarak of something, would that prevent prosecution sometime later in the hauge?
Why would it... it makes no sense.
More importantly, though, what 'legitimate' body is even looking into this?
Most likely, this will simply mean that Bush is unable to travel freely to Malyasia, as many former US government officials (like Henry Kissinger) unable to travel to various countries due to war crimes issues
posted by delmoi at 10:19 PM on May 12, 2012
It's run by
Oops, I was going to look up if this was an actual government thing, or just some private organization that was started by someone who happened to be PM
posted by delmoi at 10:20 PM on May 12, 2012
Oops, I was going to look up if this was an actual government thing, or just some private organization that was started by someone who happened to be PM
posted by delmoi at 10:20 PM on May 12, 2012
fredludd: "So, possibly any effort associated with Mahathir Mohamed will stand in the way of a serious prosecution by some more legitimate body?"
I don't follow your logic here. How are you drawing that conclusion?
posted by zarq at 10:21 PM on May 12, 2012
I don't follow your logic here. How are you drawing that conclusion?
posted by zarq at 10:21 PM on May 12, 2012
Yeah, it is non-governmental, so no actual power. So really this is pretty much non-news.
At least when the new Mexico state democratic party tried to impeach him, there was a theoretical path for it to work (as states can request an impeachment hearing under the constitution)
posted by delmoi at 10:23 PM on May 12, 2012
At least when the new Mexico state democratic party tried to impeach him, there was a theoretical path for it to work (as states can request an impeachment hearing under the constitution)
posted by delmoi at 10:23 PM on May 12, 2012
On a related note Bush & Company are now eligible to join the International Olympic Committee.
posted by srboisvert at 10:23 PM on May 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by srboisvert at 10:23 PM on May 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Waterboarding declared an Olympic event in 53359, 53358, 53357...
posted by R. Schlock at 10:25 PM on May 12, 2012
posted by R. Schlock at 10:25 PM on May 12, 2012
delmoi: " He just setup the commission."
He's the founder and chairman. Are those positions symbolic? Since the commission was set up as a symbolic protest to the cases being chosen by the Hague, it would appear he is at least steering them a bit.
posted by zarq at 10:26 PM on May 12, 2012
He's the founder and chairman. Are those positions symbolic? Since the commission was set up as a symbolic protest to the cases being chosen by the Hague, it would appear he is at least steering them a bit.
posted by zarq at 10:26 PM on May 12, 2012
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posted by leotrotsky at 9:32 PM on May 12, 2012