Greens are demanding the resignation of the American and British Defence Ministers and calling for the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to launch, on his own initiative, an immediate investigation into war crimes. For the sake of justice, those that are following orders should not be made to suffer the consequences of a philosophy of righteousness.
Paul Ingram No 2 on the London list for the European Parliament and an expert in defence and security matters said today, "The evidence of torture and murder by coalition soldiers in Iraq is truly shocking. It brings home the horror of war, and underlines the crime that Bush and Blair committed in waging such a reckless and illegal war in Iraq. The consequences will be felt across the region for years to come. We demand that the international community set up a war crimes tribunal, with those responsible; Bush, Blair, Rumsfeld and Hoon, in the dock. Anything short of this would put the lives of British soldiers and civilians in Iraq, and UK security at home, at grave risk."
London Greens call upon the US to reconsider its attitude towards the ICC and to adhere to it. This would help to restore the US’s badly shattered credibility in the eyes of the international community. By accepting an investigation and trial by the ICC, the US would offer a sign that it is returning to the fundamental values enshrined in its Constitution.
Britain has ratified the ICC treaty and the deeds of its soldiers could be tried in this court, but it would iniquitous if soldiers from the UK were tried in the ICC but soldiers from the US were not.
It is appalling and unacceptable that the relevant governments ignored internal Red Cross reports on the mistreatment of prisoners in Iraq for over a year. We call on all member states of the Red Cross to initiate a debate on the role of the organisation in order to guarantee that clear rules and time frames prevent the principle of neutrality – which in certain cases prevents public alert – from becoming a trap in the future.
We reiterate our demand for an international commission of inquiry mandated to conduct independent, impartial and thorough investigations into human rights violations in Iraq, regardless of when they occurred.
The fatal philosophy of dismantling legally binding international norms in the name of the ‘war against terrorism’ must be abandoned. The rules of the Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law are equally valid for all countries, regardless of power and size. The occupation forces are responsible for the safety and well-being of the population under their control.
Paul Ingram said that he believed that the European Council has a special responsibility to ensure that all EU members live up to their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law and demand that this issue be made a particular focal point on the agenda of the next European Council meeting.
Greens will be joining colleagues in the Stop the War Coalition in the emergency demo on Saturday 22nd May calling for an end to the US-UK occupation.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
· Darren Johnson is 37 and was selected as the Green Party’s candidate for Mayor of London in May 2003. He was elected to the London Assembly in May 2000 where he is Leader of the Green Party Group. He was also elected to Lewisham Council in May 2002.
· The Mayoral election will be held on June 10th at the same time as the elections for the London Assembly and the European Parliament. At the last Assembly elections the Greens scored one of their best ever results in the Party’s history, securing 11.1% of the vote across London and winning three seats on the 25-member Assembly.
· Darren Johnson’s vision for a sustainable Green London can be found on his website www.johnsonformayor.org.uk
· Jean Lambert is London’s Green Member of the European Parliament and she is No 1 on the list for the London Green Party. Her website is www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk
· Green Party Assembly Members are Cllr. Darren Johnson AM, Deputy Mayor Jenny Jones AM and Noel Lynch AM