More foolishness

[papabear]

U.S. Commander Faces War Crimes Complaint
2 hours, 39 minutes ago

By PAUL AMES, Associated Press Writer

BRUSSELS, Belgium - A left-wing candidate in Belgium's parliamentary elections lodged a war crimes complaint Wednesday against U.S. Gen. Tommy Franks, the commander of American forces in Iraq (news - web sites).
Lawyer Jan Fermon presented the complaint against Franks and a Marine officer he identified as Col. Brian P. McCoy to Belgium's federal prosecutors' office despite recent changes in the country's war crimes law to prevent such charges against Americans.


Fermon said he was representing 16 Iraqi civilians injured or bereaved by U.S. attacks, though he gave few details.


"This is not a symbolic action; my clients want an independent inquiry into what happened," Fermon told reporters as he arrived at the prosecutors' office. Fermon is running in Sunday's elections for the small, far-left Resist group.


Fermon said the accusations against Franks focused on the bombing of civilian areas, indiscriminate shooting by U.S. troops when they entered Baghdad and the failure to stop looting. He charged McCoy with ordering troops to fire on ambulances.


The case has provoked anger from Washington. America's most senior military officer suggested the complaint and earlier charges against other U.S. officials could jeopardize Belgium's role as a host for NATO (news - web sites) and European Union (news - web sites) meetings.


A lawsuit accusing General Tommy Franks of war crimes was filed in a Belgian court. Plaintiffs filed the suit under Belgium's controversial "universal competence" law, which allows charges to be brought regardless of where the alleged crimes took place.(AFP/Luke Frazza)

*oops--sorry didn't mean to start a new thread--was going to put this under war crimes/legal questions one

[He219]

Better to cut the ballast anyway... It appears that Belgian Courts are being used as a platform for political protest. How can the Belgian Taxpayers afford the costs of frivolous judicial abuse? How do I file a lawsuit against Chirac for displacing Pacific Islanders while performing Atomic tests? Hehehe

p-)
He219

[cut]

hey! you guys introduced this suing crap to the world!

[Royal]

He charged McCoy with ordering troops to fire on ambulances.

While I agree this is probably frivolous and anti-American, it raises an interesting point. If the Col really did make that order it is clearly against the laws of war. The troops involved should therefore have ignored an illegal order (or be culpable themselves) and he should face court martial.

[dez000]

I wish they would use our tax money a bit more wisely indeed... Instead of using it for lawsuits which is only there to get the lawyers a bit of fame and stuff, ah well elelctions this weekend, hope stuff changes so we can be a better allie ones again!