Like Pinochet, Bush can be prosecuted by foreign nation, Maddow's guest says

[nodramamama]

Johnathan Turley, Law professor invited to yesterday's Rachel Maddow show said the following, reacting to a question by Rachel:

Maddow: Are we literally looking at a possibility where administration officials from this administration cannot travel abroad to the other 145 countries that have signed the torture treaty because they might get arrested?

TURLEY: Most certainly. Look, the status of George Bush is not that different from Augusto Pinochet. They have both been accused of running a torture program. And outside this country, there is not this ambiguity about what to do with a war crime.

There are four treaties that make this an international violation. So if you go abroad and try to travel, most people abroad are going to view you, not as former President George Bush. They will view you as a current war criminal. transcript

Pinochet was tried by Britain, or Spain, I'm not sure.

Turley's opinion seems to be corroborated by the Principle of Universal Jurisdiction, which makes it possible for any country to prosecute war crimes. The principle is defined as:

the doctrine of universal jurisdiction allows national courts to try cases of the gravest crimes against humanity, even if these crimes are not committed in the national territory and even if they are committed by government leaders of other states.

http://www.globalpolicy.org/intljustice/universal/univindex.htm

It would be interesting to see how the US administration in power at the time would react to such event.

[onehandle]

1. But won't be. nt

[Independent_Liberal]

2. Don't shoot down hope so soon.

I've seen that amazing things can happen. As Obama said, Yes We Can.

[spartan61]

4. How long did it take to prosecute Pinochet?

25 years? 35 years? According to Bugliosi (The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder) gwb will always be looking over his shoulder wondering when and if it will happen. All it would take is one Federal Prosecutor to bring charges for just one murder of any serviceman. If you haven't read the book, it is fascinating.

[fishwax]

3. Bush hardly ever left the country before he was president

not much risk of him being in a hostile jurisdiction :rofl: