Katrina/Burma If denying foreign aid is a crime against humanity can Karen Hughes be prosecuted?

[Joanne98]

Saturday, May 10, 2008
Burma, Foreign Aid and Crimes against Humanity?


In light of the tragic events taking place in Burma, or Myanmar as the ruling military junta renamed it in 1989, a few interesting questions of international law spring to mind. Notwithstanding the fact that urgent need for relief and assistance to the Burmese people takes precedence over legal debates, the very refusal to accept foreign aid workers on its soil by the Burmese junta raises legal questions (the Times has a story on the situation). For instance, is it possible that this denial of foreign assistance could constitute crimes against humanity as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)? Article 7 of the Rome Statute defines crimes against humanity as acts “committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack”. For the purpose of this discussion the “acts” referred to in subsection 1 of Article 7 would be “ther inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health”, as defined in Article 7(1)(k). In subsection 2 of Article 7, it is clarified that the “attack” refers to a conduct against any civilian population “pursuant to or in furtherance of a State or organizational policy to commit such attack”. In this light, it could be argued that the deliberate denial of foreign aid by the Burmese junta, which clearly causes “great suffering, or serious injury to body or mental or physical health” is part of a conscious policy by the junta placing it within the ambit of a “widespread and systematic attack”. Unfortunately, the Burmese junta is not, perhaps not surprising, a party to the Rome Statute rendering the ICC’s jurisdiction illusory. Furthermore, cynics would assert that the Burmese junta is simply exercising its sovereign rights under international law in deciding who and what nationalities get to enter Burma. However, the Rome Statute was specifically set up to hinder impunity from hideous crimes committed under the guise of sovereignty.

http://law-research.blogspot.com/2008/05/burma-foreign-aid-and-crimes-against.html

Sunday, April 29, 2007
Fucking the victims of Katrina

By Michael J.W. Stickings

This is completely and utterly appalling:


As the winds and water of Hurricane Katrina were receding, presidential confidante Karen Hughes sent a cable from her State Department office to U.S. ambassadors worldwide.

Titled "Echo-Chamber Message" -- a public relations term for talking points designed to be repeated again and again -- the Sept. 7, 2005, directive was unmistakable: Assure the scores of countries that had pledged or donated aid at the height of the disaster that their largesse had provided Americans "practical help and moral support" and "highlight the concrete benefits hurricane victims are receiving."

Many of the U.S. diplomats who received the message, however, were beginning to witness a more embarrassing reality. They knew the U.S. government was turning down many allies' offers of manpower, supplies and expertise worth untold millions of dollars. Eventually the United States also would fail to collect most of the unprecedented outpouring of international cash assistance for Katrina's victims.

Allies offered $854 million in cash and in oil that was to be sold for cash. But only $40 million has been used so far for disaster victims or reconstruction, according to U.S. officials and contractors. Most of the aid went uncollected, including $400 million worth of oil. Some offers were withdrawn or redirected to private groups such as the Red Cross. The rest has been delayed by red tape and bureaucratic limits on how it can be spent.


And here's a revealing statistic: "Overall, the United States declined 54 of 77 recorded aid offers from three of its staunchest allies: Canada, Britain and Israel, according to a 40-page State Department table of the offers that had been received as of January 2006."

I don't know what to say. Essentially, the U.S. government -- with the knowledge and inaction of the Bush Administration, which covered it up -- denied Katrina victims massive amounts of foreign aid and support, even aid and support from America's closest friends.

How fucked up is that? And how reprehensible?

The normal and ineffectual processes and operations of government may be partly to blame, but so too is the Bush Administration. And Bush himself, who must be held responsible for the government's response to Katrina.

For what we know now is that it wasn't just FEMA's slow response to the hurricane that was the problem. It was also failure on a massive scale to provide aid and support to the victims.

That is what is truly appalling.
http://the-reaction.blogspot.com/2007/04/fucking-victims-of-katrina.html

[babylonsister]

1. Let's start at the top; how about dimson? nt

[malaise]

2. I so wish you had called CSpan this morning when

Henrietta Fore from USAID was on the program.

K & R

[Joanne98]

3. I watched it. My head exploded!

[Joanne98]

4. kick

[Joanne98]

5. kick

[Joanne98]

6. one more time...

:kick:

[Zynx]

7. Bush and Cheney should have been impeached and removed for what they

did/didn't do during Katrina.

[datasuspect]

8. it's like the pot calling the junta black

or duelling juntas

or something

[Pastiche423]

9. Kicking w/sadness

w/what my country has become.

Recommend.

[KeepItReal]

10. Bush & Co. denied *DOMESTIC* aid during Kartrina!

"Why did it happen? Who needs to be fired?" asked Aaron Broussard, president of Jefferson Parish, south of New Orleans.

Far from deferring to state or local officials, FEMA asserted its authority and made things worse, Mr. Broussard complained on "Meet the Press."

When Wal-Mart sent three trailer trucks loaded with water, FEMA officials turned them away, he said. Agency workers prevented the Coast Guard from delivering 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel, and on Saturday they cut the parish's emergency communications line, leading the sheriff to restore it and post armed guards to protect it from FEMA, Mr. Broussard said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/05/national/nationalspecial/05blame.html

[Disturbed]

11. Bush & Co. denied "Foreign & *DOMESTIC* aid during Kartrina!

Add this to the list of the other Crimes that they will never
be prosecuted for.

[KeepItReal]

13. Should have titled it "denied domestic aid, also"

Sorry bout that.

[NOLALady]

12. .

:kick: :mad: