'Arrest that war criminal' in White House issue needs debate says LA leader

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Taking a stand on adhering to law and prosecuting war criminals guilty of crimes that are no different to those committed in Nazi Germany's Hitler regime, is a stand for humanity; for all innocent people, including the reader's family, children and friends. Otherwise, fascist law of the jungle prevails. (Dupré, Examiner, Feb 21, 2010)

Yesterday was the 7-year mark of the U.S. invading Iraq and the day Americans began publicly debating, "Is President Barack Obama a war criminal?" after Cindy Sheehan was arrested following the Washington DC's protest march and rally. Los Angeles protester, Sharon Tipton wants this debate to grow stronger.

Thousands of protesters carrying "Indict Bush Now" signs, flag-draped coffins and tombstones marched in Saturday's Los Angeles and Washington DC demonstrations, urging immediate withdrawal of all troops sent into combat overseas according to Examiner.com, Los Angeles.

Cindy Sheehan, whose 21 year-old son, Casey was killed in the illegal invasion and occupation, was arrested in yesterday's DC March after U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark called on the Department of Justice to investigate officials who launched war on Iraq war. (See: Varene Dobnik, 7-arrested as DC anti-war rally concludes, Examiner.com, March 20, 2010)

AP reportes that Sheehan used a bull horn aimed at the White House to shout, "Arrest that war criminal."

Los Angeles area resident, Sharon Tipton, stated today, "I'm hoping the question of whether Obama is a War Criminal or not gets coverage. We need to ask that question."

Tipton is a local leader in torture accountability work including the California campaign to oust "Torture Judge" Jay Bybee who continues to pass judgements, sitting on the bench of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, despite evidence of his illegal involvement in torturing and torturing to death people kidnapped and detained in hidden prisons and galleys of U.S. ghost ships.

"Is Sheehan right? Is Obama a war criminal?" asked Tipton this morning in a personal communication.

"If the evidence found by Vincent Bugliosi (as a prosecuting attorney, his record is almost perfect) for convicting Bush of murder due to aggressive illegal war was conclusive enough to write a book called, "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder," and if Michael Haas, the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee could write a book called, "George W. Bush, War Criminal?" - then it's not a far fetched idea to think Obama is also a possible war criminal, since he hasn't changed very much of Bush's foreign policies."

Tipton has stated that Jay Bybee should be in jail, not sitting on the bench. She was among hundreds of protesters and those from neighbouring states who could not travel to Washington DC and instead, gathered in Los Angeles to stage an impressive march with many visuals, chanting anti-war slogans as they moved to a rally in front of the famed Grauman's Chinese Theater,

"We want to see the troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq... all the troops, wherever they are, to come back"" said Corazon Esguerra with Act Now to Stop War and Racism or ANSWER, the colaition that organized the LA protest, according to AP.

Ralph Nader was among high profile speakers at the DC rally where Ramsey Clark called on the Justice Department to investigate the Bush administration officials that started the Iraq war according to Matthew Barakat, AP writer. There, protesters rallied at Lafayette Park across from the White House and then marched through downtown.

Barakat reports that Clark said that the US is repsonsible for the war, so it should investigate it, not The Hague courts. Pressure is mounting for US officials to be tried in a trial similar to Nuremberg trials. A list of fifty alleged top-pevel war criminals, plus a video about them, has been produced by David Swanson and his colleagues at AfterDowningStreet.org. They are "not off the hook" just because they are part of the heads of high-level corruption according to Swanson.

On August 18, 2009, Swanson wrote in The Public Record:

The occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan have seen the United States target civilians, journalists, hospitals, and ambulances, use antipersonnel weapons including cluster bombs in densely settled urban areas, use white phosphorous as a weapon, use depleted uranium weapons, employ a new version of napalm found in Mark 77 firebombs, engage in collective punishment of Iraqi civilian populations — including by blocking roads, cutting electricity and water, destroying fuel stations, planting bombs in farm fields, demolishing houses, and plowing down orchards — detain people without charge or legal process without the rights of prisoners of war, imprison children, torture, and murder.

Due to continued lack of accountability related to war on terror crimes of aggression, some hope that the International Criminal Court will take action to end US high-level corruption bringing the nation and others to their knees due to economic fraud and military violence for corporate interests. (See: D. Dupré, Int'l Criminal Court to brief on Crimes of Aggression, March 18, 2010)

AP reported Nader as saying there had been no change since Obama's election.

Sheehan urged protesters to join her at her tent camp near the Washington Monument. She said that the demonstrators need to do more than shake fists at empty buildings.

Seven protesters, including Sheehan, were arrested after the rally. Six of those arrested had peacefully laid on the steet next to flag draped cradboard coffins.

Stops on the marcher's route included bases for the military contractor Halliburton, the Mortgage Bankers Association and The Washington Post according to AP.

There have been no reports of violence at the gatherings. Why should there be? The dissenters who marched are pacifists with truth-based evidence, conspiracy facts, about the so-called "war on terror." They were singing songs with lyrics such as, "All we are asking is give peace a chance."

Learn more: For known upcoming public appearances of war criminals who should be protested and citizen arrested, see AfterDowningStreet's List. Map and War Criminals Watch. For more on holding what AfterDowningStreet identifies as "the biggest criminals" accountable, see http://prosecutebushcheney.org

Sources: Washington Examiner, AP, Examiner.com, AfterDowningStreet, ANSWER and Sharon Tipton.

Deborah Dupré with a B.S., M.S. and post-graduate diploma from U.S. and Australian universities, has been a human and civil rights advocate for over 25 years in U.S., Vanuatu and Australia. Feel free to support her work and book in progress about targeted individuals at www.DeborahDupre.com , by subscribing to Dupré's reports, and by posting the link to this site (rather than entire article) unless republishing permission is granted. (Email info@DeborahDupre.com.) Dupré's most recent book, Operation H1N1: Vaccine Liberty or Death, is available at DeborahDupre.com.