Ramsey Clark: Wikileaks Revelations on Iraq War, a Last Chance to Realize Legal Sovereignty
Following the secret documents on the war on Iraq whistleblower website Wikileaks published a month ago, a string of international as well as Arab activists as well as lawyers have put efforts together to prosecute the US occupation on its terrorism and criminal acts that clearly demonstrate the collapse of its regime.
In this context, Former US Justice Minister Ramsey Clark held a preliminary meeting in the Bristol Hotel in Beirut entitled "International Campaign to Prosecute the Crimes of Siege, War, and occupation in Iraq".
A number of Arab and foreign lawyers, law experts, and activists took part in the meeting. The participants delivered words in which they condemned US terrorism in general, and precisely its crimes in Iraq. They also discussed the inhumane acts of torture and crimes of the US occupation in the different Iraqi regions under the pretext of searching for Mass Destruction Weapons the US allegedly accused Iraq of possessing.
The participants also discussed means of legal prosecuting the US for its crimes in Iraq.
In his opening statement, Former US Justice Minister Ramsey Clark assured that occupation forces use violence, noting that the campaign has a large number of documents that constitute confessions to the crimes of the offenders and assaulters, who wrote these documents by themselves.
Clark said "I am a dreamer; I have and will always be a dreamer but I keep my feet on the ground, of having an effective criminal international court." He noted that law should be implemented and violations should be stopped, otherwise our children will suffer the same wars, violations and destruction.
Former US Justice Minister hoped that this case should be a priority to all, and that as soon as possible concerned lawyers and activists have to move forward on all fronts that are possible paths for vindication of human rights.
Clark noted that the International Criminal court, which is in charge of prosecuting the US for these crimes, should enjoy more credibility through integrity and new applied conventions.
Head of the campaign also pointed out that prosecution should take place under universal jurisdiction of an international court that enjoys integrity and independence.
On his part, the campaign coordinator Ashraf Bayoumi urged the importance of publishing more of these documents that expose the US occupation crimes and the terrorism taking place in Iraq. He further noted "These criminal acts clearly demonstrate the collapse of the American regime", describing Wikileaks revelations as "An international publicity of crimes committed, be it the embargo or the war on Iraq."
Bayoumi also stressed the fact that American media proved itself as untruthful to public opinion, further noting the importance of resisting occupation whether through media, economy, education, arms or other.
More participants gave shorts speeches on the importance of resisting and ending such an occupation, all giving consent on the significance of continuing investigations and prosecuting war criminals who destroyed Iraq, its economic, academic, and vital institutions and foundations.
One by one, they reiterated the necessity of taking the cases of torture in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to the International Justice Court in The Hague in order to put the US on trial, especially that it sowed hatred in the hearts of the Americans towards the people of the Middle East, particularly the people of Iraq and Occupied Palestine.
