Tony Blair and George W Bush found guilty of ‘crimes against peace’

By Jeff Taylor, The Economic Voice

Both the former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and former President of the USA, George W Bush, have been found guilty by a court in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia of crimes against peace.

The duo were found guilty after a four day hearing set up by the ex-Premier of Malaysia, Mahatmir Mohamad in 2007 when he called Blair and Bush ‘child killers’ and ‘war criminals’.

Mahatmir Mohamad has been a long standing critic of the Iraq war and had set up a peace organisation that established the Kuala Lumpar War Crimes Tribunal specifically so that it could judge Bush and Blair.

“The Tribunal deliberated over the case and decided unanimously that the first accused George Bush and second accused Blair have been found guilty of crimes against peace.” said a tribunal statement.

The pair were tried in absentia by a panel chaired by the Malaysian ex-Federal Court Judge Abdul Kadir Sulaiman. Other members reportedly included peace activist Alfred Lambremont Webre of the United States and Mumbai-based lawyer Niloufer Bhagwat of India. Francis Boyle, an American international law professor based in Illinois was said to be among the prosecutors.

The trial started on Saturday and was over by the end of Tuesday and the tribunal said “The evidence showed that the drums of wars were being beaten long before the invasion. The accused in their own memoirs have admitted their own intention to invade Iraq regardless of international law.”

This judgment by a seven member tribunal has absolutely no powers and is seen as a purely symbolic gesture. And it is thought that there will be further hearings regarding torture and war crimes charges laid against another seven people, including the former Vice President of the USA Dick Cheney and the former US Secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld.

According to reports details of the charges had been sent to both men but no reply had been forthcoming.