Article

2003-07-13 Europe

Belgium Scraps War Crimes Law Which Angered U.S.

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Posted by tu3031 2003-07-13 12:44:35 AM|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 "This was abused by some people who wanted to damage other people, leaders and partners. Those who forced us to change the law are those who abused the law," he told VRT television.

Sounds suspiciously like Mr. Michel still doesn't get it.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2003-7-13 4:52:29 AM|| 2003-7-13 4:52:29 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 "In future, the right to launch cases would be restricted to Belgians or people resident in the country. All cases apart from those involving Belgians would be dropped"

So, Belgium can no longer charge Tommy Franks, Tony Blair or George Bush. What effect does this have on the case against the BELGIAN Foreign minister?

Posted by Anonymous 2003-7-13 5:45:28 AM|| 2003-7-13 5:45:28 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 "This was abused by some people who wanted to damage other people, leaders and partners."

And you couldn't see this coming, right?

Posted by Rafael 2003-7-13 7:11:09 AM|| 2003-7-13 7:11:09 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 I wonder if the suit against Michel was secretly supported by the Belgian Government in order to give them an excuse to ditch the law and back away from the brewing conflict with the U.S. without looking too much like they were simply caving to U.S. pressure.

Perhaps I'm paranoid but a suit about arms shipments to Nepal?!

Posted by Tokyo Taro 2003-7-13 7:28:44 AM|| 2003-7-13 7:28:44 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Perhaps I'm paranoid but a suit about arms shipments to Nepal?!

Belgium does make the ubiquitous FN rifle.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2003-7-13 2:26:19 PM|| 2003-7-13 2:26:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Looks like there is less here than first appears:

"...the right to launch cases would be restricted to Belgians or people resident in the country."

All this does is limit who can file charges. I'm sure that Belgium's citizenry includes a sufficient body of barking moonbats that it would be easy for foreign activists to find some Belgian citizen who would be willing to charge anybody with anything. If that's not enough, the "people resident in Belgium" category is a loophole big enough to sail an aircraft carrier through.

"The norms of international immunity would also be respected."

The way Spain does?

"Any cases that were launched would take into account Belgium?s agreements with NATO allies..."

Better read the fine print carefully.

Posted by Old Grouch 2003-7-13 2:44:05 PM|| 2003-7-13 2:44:05 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, who angered Washington with his staunch opposition to the war in Iraq, was also caught by the law as he was accused by an opposition party of illegally authorizing arms shipments to strife-torn Nepal. Michel, who has stayed in the new government, denied that it was U.S. pressure which had provoked the governmentâs move. "This was abused by some people who wanted to damage other people, leaders and partners. Those who forced us to change the law are those who abused the law," he told VRT television.

The moment it got personal, the issue went to the front burner...

Posted by Ptah 2003-7-14 8:19:55 AM|| [http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org] 2003-7-14 8:19:55 AM|| Front Page Top

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