[Peace-discussion] Cheney Effectively Banned from Travel To Europe As Co-Conspirator Rumsfeld Flees Custody and Charges In France

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 13:15:39 -0700

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War Criminals On The Run as Rumsfeld Goes Underground,

Flees French Detention; Torture Complaint Filed As He Is Discovered

In French Jurisdiction 

<http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-France-Rumsfeld.html?_r=1&oref=slo
gin&adxnnlx=1193601843-VKaHwW3mGIquN7ZS%201QzMA&pagewanted=all> By THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: October 26, 2007

Filed at 2:58 p.m. ET

PARIS (AP) -- American and European rights groups filed a legal complaint in
France accusing former U.S. Defense Secretary
<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/donald_h_rumsf
eld/index.html?inline=nyt-per> Donald Rumsfeld of responsibility for torture
in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay.

The complaint was filed with the Paris prosecutor's office as Rumsfeld
arrived in France for a visit, according to the New York-based Center for
Constitutional Rights, the Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional
and Human Rights and two Paris-based groups, the International Federation of
Human Rights and the League of Human Rights.

Lawrence Di Rita, former Pentagon spokesman under Rumsfeld, said: ''These
assertions have no merit, and they have been completely dismissed when made
in other jurisdictions.''

''Complaints such as this have zero foundation in the truth or the facts as
presented in countless investigations,'' he said.

The rights groups say their complaint could go forward because people
suspected of torture can be prosecuted in France if they are on French soil.

The complaint will now be examined by French prosecutors, who will decide
whether it is well-founded and should be pursued or whether it should be
rejected. The Paris prosecutor's office said on Friday night that it was
checking whether Rumsfeld is protected by any sort of diplomatic immunity
and whether he was still in France.

The complaint says Rumsfeld, in his former position as defense secretary,
''authorized and ordered crimes of torture to be carried out ... as well as
other war crimes.''

Filed Thursday, the complaint cites various documents, including memos from
Rumsfeld, internal reports and testimony from former U.S. Army Brig. Gen.
Janis Karpinski -- the one-time commander of U.S. military prisons in Iraq
-- to bolster its claims. It asks the prosecutor to open an inquiry and take
Rumsfeld into custody.

''We know that we can't get him into prison right now, but it would be great
to make sure that he couldn't safely leave the U.S. anymore,'' said
<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/michael_ratner
/index.html?inline=nyt-per> Michael Ratner, president of the Center for
Constitutional Rights.

Ratner's group already filed a formal request in Germany to try to bring an
investigation against Rumsfeld and other current and former Bush
administration officials for either ordering, aiding or failing to prevent
torture.

German federal prosecutors rejected that request in April, saying it was up
to the U.S. to hold any inquiry.

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<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font size=3D5 =
color=3Dblack
face=3DGeorgia><span =
style=3D'font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:black'>War
Criminals On The Run as Rumsfeld Goes =
Underground,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font size=3D5 =
color=3Dblack
face=3DGeorgia><span =
style=3D'font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:black'>Flees
French Detention</span></font><font size=3D5 color=3Dnavy =
face=3DGeorgia><span
style=3D'font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:navy'>; =
</span></font><font
size=3D5 color=3Dblack face=3DGeorgia><span =
style=3D'font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Georgia;
color:black'>Torture Complaint Filed As He Is =
Discovered<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font size=3D5 =
color=3Dblack
face=3DGeorgia><span =
style=3D'font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:black'>In
French Jurisdiction <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

</NYT_HEADLINE>

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face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;text-transform:uppercase'><a
href=3D"http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-France-Rumsfeld.html?_r=3D=
1&amp;oref=3Dslogin&amp;adxnnlx=3D1193601843-VKaHwW3mGIquN7ZS%201QzMA&amp=
;pagewanted=3Dall"></a></span></font><font
size=3D2 color=3Dgray face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial;
color:gray'>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS</span></font><font size=3D1 =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;text-transform:uppercase'><o:p=
></o:p></span></font></p>

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<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dgray face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
9.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:gray'>Published: October 26, =
2007<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p style=3D'line-height:18.0pt'><b><font size=3D4 face=3DGeorgia><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Georgia;font-weight:bold'><NYT_TEXT=
>Filed
at 2:58 p.m. ET</span></font></b><font size=3D4 face=3DGeorgia><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Georgia'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

PARIS (AP) -- American and European rights =
groups
filed a legal complaint in <st1:country-region =
w:st=3D"on">France</st1:country-region>
accusing former U.S. Defense Secretary <a
href=3D"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/dona=
ld_h_rumsfeld/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-per"
title=3D"More articles about Donald H. Rumsfeld.">Donald Rumsfeld</a> of =
responsibility for
torture in <st1:country-region w:st=3D"on">Iraq</st1:country-region> and =
at <st1:place
w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Guantanamo</st1:PlaceName> =
<st1:PlaceType
 =
w:st=3D"on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p>=

<p style=3D'line-height:18.0pt'><font size=3D4 face=3DGeorgia><span =
style=3D'font-size:
14.0pt;font-family:Georgia'>The complaint was filed with the Paris =
prosecutor's
office as Rumsfeld arrived in France for a visit, according to the New
York-based Center for Constitutional Rights, the Berlin-based European =
Center
for Constitutional and Human Rights and two Paris-based groups, the =
International
Federation of Human Rights and the League of Human =
Rights.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p style=3D'line-height:18.0pt'><font size=3D4 face=3DGeorgia><span =
style=3D'font-size:
14.0pt;font-family:Georgia'>Lawrence Di Rita, former Pentagon spokesman =
under
Rumsfeld, said: ''These assertions have no merit, and they have been =
completely
dismissed when made in other =
jurisdictions.''<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p style=3D'line-height:18.0pt'><font size=3D4 face=3DGeorgia><span =
style=3D'font-size:
14.0pt;font-family:Georgia'>''Complaints such as this have zero =
foundation in
the truth or the facts as presented in countless investigations,'' he =
said.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p style=3D'line-height:18.0pt'><font size=3D4 face=3DGeorgia><span =
style=3D'font-size:
14.0pt;font-family:Georgia'>The rights groups say their complaint could =
go
forward because people suspected of torture can be prosecuted in =
<st1:place
w:st=3D"on"><st1:country-region =
w:st=3D"on">France</st1:country-region></st1:place>
if they are on French soil.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

The complaint will now be examined by French
prosecutors, who will decide whether it is well-founded and should be =
pursued
or whether it should be rejected. The <st1:City =
w:st=3D"on">Paris</st1:City>
prosecutor's office said on Friday night that it was checking whether =
Rumsfeld is
protected by any sort of diplomatic immunity and whether he was still in =
<st1:place
w:st=3D"on"><st1:country-region =
w:st=3D"on">France</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></f=
ont>

The complaint says Rumsfeld, in his former =
position
as defense secretary, ''authorized and ordered crimes of torture to be =
carried
out ... as well as other war crimes.''<o:p></o:p>

Filed Thursday, the complaint cites various
documents, including memos from Rumsfeld, internal reports and testimony =
from
former U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski -- the one-time commander of =
<st1:country-region
w:st=3D"on">U.S.</st1:country-region> military prisons in <st1:place =
w:st=3D"on"><st1:country-region
 w:st=3D"on">Iraq</st1:country-region></st1:place> -- to bolster its =
claims. It
asks the prosecutor to open an inquiry and take Rumsfeld into =
custody.<o:p></o:p>

<p style=3D'line-height:18.0pt'><font size=3D4 face=3DGeorgia><span =
style=3D'font-size:
14.0pt;font-family:Georgia'>''We know that we can't get him into prison =
right
now, but it would be great to make sure that he couldn't safely leave =
the <st1:place
w:st=3D"on"><st1:country-region =
w:st=3D"on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place>
anymore,'' said <a
href=3D"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/mich=
ael_ratner/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-per"
title=3D"More articles about Michael Ratner."><font =
color=3D"#004276"><span
style=3D'color:#004276'>Michael Ratner</span></font></a>, president of =
the Center
for Constitutional Rights.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p style=3D'line-height:18.0pt'><font size=3D4 face=3DGeorgia><span =
style=3D'font-size:
14.0pt;font-family:Georgia'>Ratner's group already filed a formal =
request in <st1:place
w:st=3D"on"><st1:country-region =
w:st=3D"on">Germany</st1:country-region></st1:place>
to try to bring an investigation against Rumsfeld and other current and =
former
Bush administration officials for either ordering, aiding or failing to =
prevent
torture.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p style=3D'line-height:18.0pt'><font size=3D4 face=3DGeorgia><span =
style=3D'font-size:
14.0pt;font-family:Georgia'>German federal prosecutors rejected that =
request in
April, saying it was up to the <st1:place =
w:st=3D"on"><st1:country-region =
w:st=3D"on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place>
to hold any inquiry.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

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