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Try others too for crimes against humanity
If the ICC considers Sudan's president as a suspect, then what about Bush and Sharon?
- Gulf News
- Published: 00:08 July 14, 2008
The Arab League is being called to rescue one of its leaders, President of Sudan, Omar Al Bashir. Reports say he is being considered by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a suspect in the ongoing conflict and massacres in Darfur. Al Bashir, being the president, holds a moral responsibility for the bloody conflict in the unfortunate region. He, nevertheless, tried to resolve the crisis long before the West got hold of the issue and made it an election banner in more than one country. But the real question is, why is he being singled out? There are many presidents and international figures, amongst us, who could also be tried for crimes against humanity.
Yes, we are thinking of Ariel Sharon (AKA: the Butcher of Lebanon) who should have been prosecuted years before Slobodan Milosevic was arrested, and George W. Bush, whose catastrophic foreign policies have resulted directly in the killings of thousands of innocent people in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Lest we forget, neither Israel nor the US even recognise the ICC's authority to try their citizens. Also, any of the major powers has the right to veto the prosecution of its own citizens. So depending on which country we're talking about, the concept of "justice" will vary.
International organisations were right when they sounded the alarm over what was taking place in Darfur. It was a real war, in which thousands of innocent women, men and children paid the price. But it was a war between two groups and it could have been addressed long time ago. But going after the Sudanese president and humiliating him will only complicate the conflict and undermine any progress made on Darfur in the past few months.
This is nothing more than an attempt to put together a political show trial and perhaps justify future "international action" in Sudan. Unfortunately with the ICC, which pursues cases selectively, it was seldom about justice or humanitarian considerations and more so about political motivations.
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