#ArrestObama #May22
Ireland condemns torture, and must
prosecute those who commit it, authorize it, defend or consent to it.
Arrest Obama #May22
·
Permalink
What is this campaign?
This
is a campaign for the arrest of United States president Barack Obama for crimes
against humanity, when he sets foot on Irish soil, during the state visit
planned for May 22nd – 24th.
What has Obama done?
Obama
enjoys a far better reputation in Ireland than did his predecessor, George W.
Bush, but proper scrutiny of his human rights record reveals that this
reputation is undeserved. Although there are many more caveats to be considered
about his presidency, the #ArrestObama
#May22
movement is campaigning for his arrest for torture because the facts on this
are solid, and because this is one of the most serious crimes that can be
committed, especially by a public official who purports to stand for freedom
and justice.
Obama’s torture record is as follows:
- He
actively prevented the prosecution of known torturers in the Bush
administration, with his Look Forwards,
Not Backwards policy. This is
uncontroversially illegal under international humanitarian law. Read
more…
- He
is vicariously responsible for the inhumane pretrial incarceration of
U.S. military whistleblower Bradley Manning, which is tantamount to
torture under the law of civilized nations, including the law of Europe. Read
more…
Why must Ireland do this?
Ireland
is a signatory to the U.N. Convention Against Torture, and is therefore obliged
to prosecute those who are guilty of torture, whether or not they are Irish
citizens, and whether or not the torture occurred in Ireland, as soon as the
torturer is within the reach of the Irish criminal justice system. To read an
outline of the law, see here.
The
law on torture is stark. Failure to prosecute torturers is endorsement of the
practice of torture. If Ireland does not prosecute Barack Obama while he is on
Irish soil, Ireland will have failed in its duties to uphold the basic
dignities and rights of human beings, and will have sent a message to the world
that Ireland approves of torture.
Many
other countries have upheld their obligations as regards torture.
- In
1998, Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was indicted for human rights
violations, and arrested in London. Read
more…
- In
2006, torture charges were brought under Canadian law against then U.S.
president George W. Bush while he was on a state visit to Canada. The
charges were eventually blocked by a complicit Canadian government, under
the guise of diplomatic immunity, which does not apply to international
crimes against humanity, such as torture. Read
more…
- In
2007, Donald Rumsfeld was forced to flee France, after an attempt to
prosecute him there for ordering and authorizing torture. Read
more…
- In
February of this year, George Bush was forced to cancel a visit to
Geneva, after a collective of human rights organizations and torture
victims filed suit there for his arrest. Read
more…
There
is much domestic opposition to Barack Obama on the issue of torture, and in
particular, over the incarceration of Bradley Manning, but hitherto the
American criminal justice system is proving inadequate to the task of holding
the most powerful people in the world to basic standards of justice and respect
for human dignity. We must oppose torture for ourselves, and for all human
beings, and if America’s criminal justice system fails her people, we must
assist Americans in opposing torture by ensuring that ours works as it should.
Ireland must join the list of countries that rightfully and proactively opposes
the crime of torture, or risk the ignominy of endorsing one of the worst
offenses that can be committed against a human being.
Why will Obama be in Ireland?
The
Republic of Ireland is a country with which the United States professes a
‘special relationship.’ Ireland’s political class is groomed by American
diplomatic staff in the American embassy, and successive leaders are received
in Washington with fanfare, in order to ensure Irish cooperation in U.S.
foreign policy interests. This is often done despite popular opposition to the
policies and actions of the United States government.
- When
popular opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were at their
peak, then Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern sought to collude with
United States diplomats to mislead the Irish public, and to provide
deniability for the Irish government, if it ever came to light that the
airport in Shannon was being used for extraordinary rendition of
detainees to black sites, torture regimes and Guantanamo Bay, where many
of them continue to suffer indefinite detention without trial. This was
revealed in a diplomatic cable leaked by Wikileaks, which can be read here.
There is further coverage of it here.
- Another
diplomatic cable reveals how, while the Irish people opposed the U.S.
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the American diplomatic post in Ireland
requested permission from the U.S. State Department to begin to meet with
Fine Gael leadership – then in opposition – to ensure that Fine Gael’s
stance towards U.S. foreign policy would be as unswerving as Fianna
Fáil’s. Read about this in this Wikileaks cable.
Ireland
has a history of capitulating to U.S. interests, even against the will of the
Irish people. Ireland’s political class often stands shoulder to shoulder with
U.S. officials, against the interests of Irish and American citizens. For this
reason, this campaign will be met with indignation by the Dublin government,
because arresting Obama seems anathema to U.S. – Irish relations. This cannot
be our priority, because to ignore torture is to conspire in it. To prioritize
Irish relations with official Washington over the incredible suffering of the
victims of American torture is wrong and it is also illegal.
Obama
must not be allowed to torture with impunity, especially when he is in the reach
of the Irish criminal justice system. The #ArrestObama
#May22
campaign calls on all Irish people who oppose torture, and the cruel and
inhumane treatment of human beings to campaign for the arrest of Barack Obama
on #May22.
Contact
the #ArrestObama #May22 campaign at arrestobama@eml.cc
No comments:
Post a Comment