[nvaughan3]

WSJ.com
July 8, 2003

Belgium's War-Crimes Law Will Be Altered, Says Official

By Associated Press

BRUSSELS -- Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel said Tuesday the new government will force through changes to a war-crimes law that has been used to target President Bush and other U.S. leaders.

In its legislative program statement, the incoming government of liberals and socialists said it will ask Parliament to amend the law to avoid "the systematic abuse by people and organizations with a political agenda."

The law allowed war-crimes charges to be brought in Belgian courts regardless of where the alleged offenses took place. It has infuriated the Bush administration since it has been used against the president, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Gen. Tommy Franks, coalition commander in the Iraq war.

Although government officials had said they would limit the law to cases in which Belgians or Belgian residents were directly involved as victims or suspects, the new government expects to take further steps.

"There will be different filters and it will be totally impossible, totally impossible, to abuse the law for bad intentions," Mr. Michel said following the presentation of the government program. He said the government would put an amended law to Parliament, where the coalition has a large majority of 97 of 150 seats, ahead of the summer recess.

"We are still studying the last technical details but the purpose is that all doors will be closed," Mr. Michel said. He did not elaborate on the practical changes in the legislation. Over the past weeks, he has discussed the changes with U.S. officials, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Lord Robertson and other NATO and European Union allies.

Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt dismissed media reports that the U.S. administration was still negative about the proposed changes.

"The proposal which will be put to Parliament will answer all problems," said Mr. Verhofstadt, who is expected to continue as prime minister for another four-year term. Mr. Rumsfeld has warned the law could force NATO to move out of Brussels. Last month, he froze spending on a new $352 million alliance headquarters in the Belgian capital.

The government program said the changes would bring the law into line with international legislation of such nations as France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany. Introduced in 1993, the law currently allows Belgian courts to try suspects for genocide and other war crimes regardless of the country where the crimes took place or the nationality of the suspects. The law was first used in 2001 to convict four Rwandans for involvement in the genocide in the Central African nation.

However, complaints have also been filed against several world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, President Fidel Castro of Cuba and Saddam Hussein of Iraq. Following the Iraq war, cases were filed by disgruntled individuals against Messrs. Bush, Rumsfeld, Powell, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Gen. Franks. All were dismissed before trial.

Under the recent amendments, the government has already rejected complaints against the Americans under previous amendments to the law, which allow the complaint to be forwarded to the defendant's home country. However, Washington has insisted the legislation must go.

[nonhuman]

I don't get it, how is this evidence of the ICC seeking a power grab?

[nvaughan3]

why can you not edit titles and have them show up in topic listing. can't delete thread either. WTF is that

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Seeking power grab? The ICC IS a power grab.

After they hand out some major convictions against their own for the slaughters in the Congo- THEN let's talk. Until then, STFU Belgium.

[Troll]

Originally posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE:
The ICC IS a power grab.

After they

Is this the royal they?

Originally posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE:
hand out some major convictions against their own

That would be the citizens of 'I' would it? The I CC's own citizens?

Dear oh dear oh dear ...

International Criminal Court - go have a read.
Belgian Government.I think nvaughan realised his mistake but hasn't been able to change the thread title. Evidently you're quick to criticise something you're pretty clueless about.

[OreoCookie]

Originally posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE:
Seeking power grab? The ICC IS a power grab.

After they hand out some major convictions against their own for the slaughters in the Congo- THEN let's talk. Until then, STFU Belgium.

Read what nvaughan3 has written about changing the title. You obviously haven't read the article.

[Demonhood]

what do you want the title to be?

[theolein]

Originally posted by Demonhood:
what do you want the title to be?

"Geraniums are pretty flowers and have lots of nice colourful petals"



Sorry, got carried away there.

[theolein]

Originally posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE:
Seeking power grab? The ICC IS a power grab.

After they hand out some major convictions against their own for the slaughters in the Congo- THEN let's talk. Until then, STFU Belgium.

If someone or government brings about charges against individuals in the Congo then I presume that this will happen. As it is the peacekeepers have only been there for about four or five weeks. Do you have any suggestions about a specific individual?

[Troll]

Originally posted by theolein:
"Geraniums are pretty flowers and have lots of nice colourful petals"

Oh flowers, here we go again. Some smart alec trying to tell us geraniums have NCP's. I don't suppose you can show us any pictures of NCP's or any evidence that hasn't blossomed out of your own stamen? I suppose you have some dodgy intelligence from some dodgy source that you sexed up to suggest a geranium attempted to obtain NCP's. Geraniums are from Africa right? We spent 12 years Hands Pickxing them and that didn't work so they must be NCP laden? And even if they don't have NCP's, then at least the War on Flora liberated some pretty flowers, not so?

Pfffaaaa - you revisionist agriculturalists are all the same. Geraniums with NCP's ... and we're chopping the Irises at the gate!

[thunderous_funker]

ROFL!!