Marga's Note: As previously posted, US district courts have jurisdiction over war crimes and torture crimes committed by American citizens outside of the United States. There are no legal reasons why the US Justice Department could not investigate and prosecute civilian contractors for participating in the torture of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib or anywhere else. The Convention against torture defines torture as:
" means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. "
and the acts depicted in the pictures would likely qualify.
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A legal loophole could allow four American civilian contractors allegedly involved in the abuse of Iraqi prisoners to escape punishment, US military officials and specialists said yesterday.
US commanders in Iraq announced that seven military supervisors have received administrative reprimands over the alleged abuse of the detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, commander of US forces in Iraq, said the investigation into the supervisors -- officers and non-commissioned officers -- was complete and they would not face further proceedings.
Boston.com / News / Nation / Civilians ID'd in abuse may face no charges
Posted by marga at May 4, 2004 04:52 PM | TrackBack