SwiftVets.com

[shawa]

Seems to be a quandary for Rummy. If he goes I doubt that they
would dare try to arrest him, but I'm sure there would be demonstrations
and demands for his arrest, giving international media attention to
the war protesters. Why give them reason to create a big brouhaha.
But then if he doesn't attend, the press will portray him as being
afraid to attend. Not that Rummy is afraid of anything, but he
might be weighing the diplomatic reasons to stay away.


http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7533070

Rumsfeld Debating Whether to Avoid Germany
Thu Feb 3, 2005 06:05 PM ET
By Charles Aldinger

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Thursday he has not decided whether to attend an international security conference next week in Germany, where he might be subject to arrest on a war-crimes complaint.

"I have not made a final decision on that (attendance). And there are several factors," Rumsfeld told reporters when asked if he would go to the prestigious annual private Munich Conference on Security Policy Feb. 12-13 when he is in Europe next week.

He conceded in response to questions at a press conference that one problem was the jurisdiction of a German court over a 160-page criminal complaint filed Nov. 30 with the federal prosecutor's office in Germany accusing him of war crimes in connection with detainee abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

That complaint was brought by the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), a group of lawyers representing Iraqis who say they were mistreated by U.S. forces at the Baghdad prison.

The complaint also names other senior U.S. military authorities, including former U.S. commander in Iraq Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, and former U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director George Tenet.

"It's certainly an issue, as it was in Belgium. It's something that we have to take into consideration," Rumsfeld said of the suit on Thursday. "Whether I end up there we'll soon know. It'll be a week, and we'll find out."

The German prosecutor's office has taken no action on the complaint, based on a 2002 German law that the gives the Karlsruhe Court "universal jurisdiction" in cases involving alleged war crimes.

A similar law was previously passed in Belgium but later modified, and cases against U.S. and other officials, including Cuban President Fidel Castro, were dismissed or rejected.

Officials of the Munich conference, which marked its 40th anniversary last year, earlier told the Washington Post that Rumsfeld might not attend. It draws members of (the U.S. Congress), cabinet ministers, lawmakers and prominent analysts and politicians from many parts of Europe and Asia.

Rumsfeld told reporters on Thursday he would attend an informal meeting of NATO defense ministers in Nice, France, Feb. 9-10 and was likely to make other stops, but that his final schedule was not complete.

"I'm going to be in Nice. And I'm very likely going to visit some other locations in that part of the world during that period," he said.

[RogerRabbit]

This is a RotoReuters article so I would not give it to much attention. The only way he would not do something is if his boss sain no. Fat chance of that I would guess
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"Si vis pacem, para bellum"

[PhantomSgt]

Ahhh let Germany try to arrest Rummy and we can finish them off this time.

Sounds like an overt act of war to me, arresting the military leader of a country engaged in war. Come on Germany, I double dare ya.

Fortunately we have enough occupation troops on hand in Germany to take it over in about three hours without breaking a sweat.

Then we can spend a couple of hours kicking some French Butt just because they're French.

Payback is a **itch.


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Retired AF E-8

Independent that leans right of center.

[Me#1You#10]

[four-niner delta]

What phantomsgt said.
_________________
Gary Armitstead
Burbank, CA
U.S. Army Vietnam 1966-67 Mekong Delta
Mobile Riverine Force
A Co. 3/60 9th INF DIV

[PhantomSgt]

I noticed Schroder's lips pressed firmy against Condi's butt during the visit. Can we say he was acting sheepish? I wonder what Condi has on this Bozo? Maybe some oil for food vouchers in his name? Who knew?




_________________
Retired AF E-8

Independent that leans right of center.