COMMENTARY | In what's considered by most to be little more than symbolism, former U.S. President George W. Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair have been convicted of war crimes by a Malaysian court for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The "Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War" [sic] charged that both men knowingly ordered the invasion of Iraq, under a false pretext of former dictator Saddam Hussein having stockpiled weapons of mass destruction.
Part of the Malaysian court's ruling stated that both men forged documents intended to support their claims and that during the invasion more than a million Iraqi citizens were killed. The 5-panel war crimes tribunal took a mere four days to come to their verdict. The Malaysian judges also expressed their desire the two leaders names be listed on the war criminal's register, under the Rome Statute.
While most Americans will refuse to accept the convictions as legitimate, even the most staunch conservative must find President Bush joking about the missing WMD, during a Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner in 2007, in bad taste. How he found humor over the topic, which so many soldiers gave their lives for is beyond comprehension. Bad taste? Yes, but criminal? We'd have to let a fair trial work that out.
Neither Bush or Blair will face any sort of imprisonment for their actions here in America or in the United Kingdom, especially when we consider that neither man was present at the trial and allowed to defend themselves. The very idea of a conviction "in absentia" is offensive to civilized people. Even those 24 men serving under Adolf Hitler, whom the Nuremberg Trials convicted of war crimes, were allowed to offer up a defense before the international court. I'm no fan of George Bush or Tony Blair. But I am a huge supporter of the idea of fair trials.
Malaysia seems to be posturing, but for what purpose? What exactly would the goal be in making such a gesture? Will their tin horn justice system be recognized by anyone outside of their nation? It's not likely. It's hard to imagine the U.S. or the U.K. respecting this conviction.
If former President Bush and former PM Blair have any charges to answer to, let those charges be made in a court where the two men have a chance to offer a defense. It's the least anyone else would deserve.
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