UK, US charged with war crimes
The leaders of the United States and United Kingdom have been charged under international law with crimes against humanity in the recent Iraq war, according to reports.
Belgian authorities pinpointed eight political leaders including US President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the lawsuits.
It is unknown precisely whom launched the lawsuits but the legal action has been handed over to individual nation states.
Changes to the genocide law in 1993 paved the way for the transfer.
The British government has already said no further action will be taken.
Mr. Bush, Mr. Blair, US Secretary of State Colin Powell, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and US General Tommy Franks, in one lawsuit, were charged with crimes against humanity in the 2003 Iraq war.
A second lawsuit isolated Colin Powell in the Iraq war.
And a third against Mr. Bush, Mr. Rumsfeld, US Attorney-General John Ashcroft, US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz for crimes against humanity in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The US may contemplate moving NATO headquarters out of Belgium if further lawsuits are filed, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned authorities last week.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Cuban President Fidel Castro and Iraq’s Saddam Hussein have previously been charged with war crimes under the law.
