June 13, 2003 6:59 AM

How about we let someone else be the world's moral policeman?

U.S. Demands NATO Ally Change Law: Rumsfeld Criticizes Belgian Claim to Prosecute War Crimes

It feels like a stupid joke:

Drunk #1: What do Tommy Franks and Ariel Sharon have in common?

Drunk #2: Uh... I don't know....

Drunk #3: They've both been indicted by a Belgian court for war crimes.

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The United States threatened on Thursday to withhold money for a new NATO headquarters and ban Americans from attending alliance meetings unless Belgium changes a law under which Army commander Tommy Franks was charged with war crimes....

In a news conference, Rumsfeld criticized a decade-old Belgian law that claims a right to prosecute war crimes committed anywhere by anyone. Rumsfeld said the United States rejects the assertion that Belgium has such jurisdiction, a point that other American officials have argued over the past two years.

"Belgium appears not to respect the sovereignty of other countries," Rumsfeld said, noting that Americans sued so far include Franks, the commander of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars; former Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf; Vice President Dick Cheney; Secretary of State Colin Powell and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

"The suits are absurd," Rumsfeld said. But they call into question whether senior civilian and military leaders can come to Belgium "without fear of harassment by Belgian courts entertaining spurious charges."

The United States "will have to seriously consider" whether to allow its officials to come, he said.

"Belgium needs to recognize that there are consequences to its actions," Rumsfeld said, and he added that the United States would oppose any further spending for a new NATO headquarters, which is still in an early planning and design phase.

Belgium passed the law in 1994 to deal with suspects from Rwanda's genocide who began arriving in the country. But the law later was used by political groups opposing various actions, American officials said.

The suit against Franks was filed by an attorney for a leftist political party in the name of Iraqis who said family members had been killed in the war.

Belgian Defense Minister Andre Flahaut said he was surprised by Rumsfeld's warning, insisting the Franks case had been rejected by Belgium. "Within six days, the case was closed," he told reporters.

Granted, on the surface this whole thing is silly and arrogant (and I'm surprised the French government didn't come up with this), but let's consider the possibilities here. It's takes a lot of time, energy, and money to function as the world's moral policeman? Why NOT let Belgium take over these responsibilities? After all, who's to say that they couldn't do a better job?

Let's just hope the Belgians stick to foreign affairs. If they decide to prosecute for offenses committed domestically, I imagine there are many folks who might not be sleeping very well, f'rinstance:

1) Kathryn Harris and the US Supreme Court, for perpetrating electoral fraud and dressing it up in legal doublespeak. They'd have a solid case.

2) John Ashcroft, for the USA PATRIOT Act and for pushing for PATRIOT II. His efforts to promote the creeping deterioration of constitutionally-guaranteed civil rights might just be worthy of hard time.

3) Karl Rove, for taking Goebbel's "Big Lie" to bold new heights. Panem et circenses, eh??

4) Howard Dean, for starting a "campaign weblog".

Maybe the Belgians are on to something after all....

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on June 13, 2003 6:59 AM.

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