Should Canada Arrest George W. Bush on War Crimes on October 20th?

Originally posted by NewAgeMan
I think Canadian authorities are obligued to either prevent him entry, or arrest him for alleged war crimes if he does enter. What a powerful statement it would make about Canada. This isn't about Bush, it's about who Canada is, and whether we're just another notch in the belt of the NWO.

I do believe there's proof that innocent people were tortured by a policy Bush and Cheney are on record admitting to having authorized. This qualified by any measure of the law as war crimes (setting aside of course any 9/11 involvement).

Thank you to the Canadian Government for considering this, and for recognizing the entire "global" frame of reference.

Just saw something on the news about it..

Bush is admiitted to having committed war crimes by authorizing torture, so what does it say about Canada if we just turn a blind eye, well aware of the issue, just what kind of person are you Mr. Harper, if you throw us under this bus, and what does it say about Canada, and the larger international community, what principals do you guys serve, we're at a loss here..

This is a VITAL issue, of far reaching implications, historically. Take pause therefore, and consider deeply the implications of this, both in terms of Canadian identity, and the larger international framework.

Simply force Bush to cacel his trip, while sending the message that arresting him is a possibility the Canadian Government simply cannot rule out, and since we abide by these international laws, perhaps it would be best that Mr. Bush not come to Canada, for the rest of his life. Sends a POWERFUL message, what are we mice, or a country of global Civility?

George W. Bush is now no one but a citizen, the office of the POTUS does not encircle him.

SOMEBODY has to say something, surely, about the crimes of the Bush/Cheney Whitehouse. History will have it's say, and it's always best to be on the right side of history.

Sorry, Mr. Bush, but you're simply not welcome in Canada, we have to stand for what we stand for.

You can stay in Texas and cut some more wood, maybe you can atone for it all and heap it on Cheney!

"Cleave a piece of wood and you will find me there."
~ Gospel of Thomas

Originally posted by peck420
I think some of you are confused about the ICC.

If Bush was arrested in Canada per an ICC warrant, it would be valid as Canada is a member of ICC.

Canada could not, however, go inside the US to enact an ICC warrant as the US is not a member.

It is not the persons country of birth that is relevant it is where they are arrested that is relevant. Similar to how I am liable to US laws when I travel inside the US, etc.

All of this is really moot though, as the ICC has issued no such warrant and Canada has issued no such warrant.

The part you are missing though is where it states in the ICC charter that they have no jurisdiction in non signatory countries.

The ICC either complies with its own charter, or it has no credibility.
Either the ICC complies with its own procedures, or it has no credibility.

Specifically the step of notifying the offending country of the charges and allowing that country a year to investigate and resolve the issues raised, which has been done in the US Federal Court system when it ruled on water boarding, enhanced interrogation techniques, the status of enemy combatents and the level of access they will have to legal remedies.

If the ICC disagrees with those findings, then why bother to have that as part of their procedures?

Secondly, as has been said time and again, the US is a not a signatory and is therfore not subject to the ICC, regardless of what other countries may wish.

Also, again I point out the lack of intrest by countries who want to arrest Bush who refuse the same steps when it comes to the North Korean leader, Sudan, Syria, Iran etc etc etc.

That alone smacks of polotics, undermining the ICC even more.

reply to post by Xcathdra


That's not entirely correct.

The year investigation only needs to occur before charging, not arresting.

We are running into the "unwritten laws of the leaders of the world". Countries never grab leaders when they visit, no matter how many evil acts they have done. Leaders never prosecute the previous idiot.

Someone also pointed out to me that Presidents retain their Diplomatic passports indefinitely even when out of office. So, essentially, they would be arresting a US Diplomat with Diplomatic Immunity. Probably not a good idea when you share the largest unguarded border in the world with the world's last remaining superpower.

Just wanted to add a thought here. I dont condone torture at all. It is horrid. BUT what if you knew the suspect had a nuke/other weapon of mass destruction and you knew that it was set to go off in say an hour. The weapon of course is located in a heavily populated area and many tens of thousands if not millions will die. The suspect knows exactly where it is but is not saying a word as the suspect is quite willing to die. What do you do? Would you have to utilise tourture in this scenrio in order to save many lives? The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or indeed the one? A truth serum drug would work i assume. I would sanction this in this sort of scenerio when one only has an hour to save the world from disaster...

However i dont think Dick Cheny, Bush et al can claim the tourture was under these parameters unless of course this sort of thing did happen but we dont know about it I am all for justice and noone is immune from justice. But just wanted to highlight it is not always a black/white clear cut situation.

After further research I withdraw my previous comments

For the sake of America he should be arrested...

Originally posted by purplemer
For the sake of America he should be arrested...

Why?

Why just him?

Why not the leadership of Iran, Syria, N. Korea, Sudan etc etc etc.

Are are we going for the politically motivated scenario? Bush, as well as all US citizens are subject to the laws of the US and no others. Attempting to arrest Bush for decisions made on US would cause just a slight diplomatic issue. Also, before people get to eager to throw more stones, make sure your own house is in order.

It would suck if Bush got arrested at the same time as members of other government, including Canada.

Didn't Canada kinda help us with the Bush 'war crimes'? I dislike Bush, but this seems beyond silly. I would never expect our hat to do something this brash, even though we all love you down here.

Originally posted by Domo1
Didn't Canada kinda help us with the Bush 'war crimes'? I dislike Bush, but this seems beyond silly. I would never expect our hat to do something this brash, even though we all love you down here.

Its politically motivated and nothing more. If it werent the same people calling for Bush's head would be going after leaders of other countries with the same zeal.

Ironically though I find it humerous how people make an argument that the Us should but out of other countries affairs while in the same breath being ok with meddeling in US affairs. I say if a country wants to be ballsy enough to go after a US leader, let em roll the dice and see where it goes.

There are 2 great ironies in life -
Not getting what you want and Getting exactly what you want.

To me the push for this action is not well thought out at all. People dont seem to have the ability anymore to see beyond the here and now and how those actions can affect their future.

If they want Bush, then I want to see arrest warrants for chinese leadership, Iranian, Syrian, Egyptian, Sudanese, Yemen, etc etc etc.

If Canada arrested Bush the US would do exactly zero about it.

You have a democrat in power.

His enemy has been arrested.

The arrest has just provided ample amounts of political advertising for you...

Enjoy your second term and welcome to politics.

reply to post by peck420


I hope those in power in Canada are a little smarter. A couple of things you are missing:

When a foreign government arrests someone with Diplomatic Immunity it usually results in severing Diplomatic ties. This is frequently a step to out and out war.

Bush is still immensely popular, not among the far left of course.

Barry is going to be an ex-President some day and probably plans to utillize that status collecting extravagant speaking fees just as Bush, and Clinton and Carter, is doing. He would probably rather not worry about capricious arrest for his very real crimes. Anwar al-Awlaki anyone?

Any hope Barry has of getting reelected rests with the independents. Conservatives out number liberals in this country by about two to one. Instead of his success in 2012 ignoring a foreign government imprisoning Bush without charges or trial would almost certainly guarantee his loss in the election.

reply to post by wasco2


I am exploring what Canada could do, not what they will.

Realisticly speaking, there is no actual warrant and has been no official trial (or even a formal presenting of evidence), so Mr. Bush will be safe crossing into Canada for the forseable future.

He will even probably get treatment closer to a sitting dignatary as we have PC's in current power.

Just wanted to add:

If (hypothetically) Bush was convicted of war crimes, Canada would still not arrest him. Our government would deny him entry and avoid the whole issue.

Hell yeah.

No need for a trial.

Just arrest hm and hang him right then and there.

I see a lot of folk out there want Canada to do to G.W.Bush what his own government should have done when his presidential term was up, so why us? We suffered enough thanks to the shafting we got with N.A.F.T.A.! I strongly believe the s.o.b. should be arrested and put on trial, though not for ordering the use of torture. It's my personal belief that in certain cases, the use of torture is the only way to go!
We've received a couple of intelligence reports that a bomb has been set to go off at a certain time, so as to insure a maximum amount of death and destruction, and we've managed to get our hands on a couple of the terrorists responsible for the particular district in which the bomb has been planted. I do not think asking them nicely where the bomb is hidden, is going to work! These terrorists don't give a damn about the horrible suffering of those who even though they have survived the brunt of the explosion, are rolling on the grounnd screaming and shrieking in agony and terror, children with limbs blown off screaming out for their parents who are lying dead beside them!
Yet it appears that Mr.Neve and his Amnesty International are more concerned about the welfare of those poor terrorist/s who caused all this, than they are about the injured who are rolling on the ground in way more agony than the amount of pain it would have taken to extract the needed information from two captured terrorists!
I very much doubt Bush will ever be arrested, but should a miracle indeed happen, he should be arrested by his own government and put on trial for his illegal invasion of Iraq, along with Cheney, Rumsfeld and a few others!

Yes of course they should.

I just heard this news and it didn't even get the necessary attention it should have got!

What a lot of BS on the MSM.

Originally posted by peck420
If Canada arrested Bush the US would do exactly zero about it.

You have a democrat in power.

His enemy has been arrested.

The arrest has just provided ample amounts of political advertising for you...

Enjoy your second term and welcome to politics.

Or maybe he would do someting because the arrest would be based on a foreign law that doesnt take into account the fact he broke no domestic US laws. If they arrest Bush, it means any leader can be arrested for any reason, which again goes back to politically motivated.


The US would do something about it. the question is would it be a simple resuce operation or would we be hoisting the American flag in Ottowa?

Anything else in the box pandora?

Originally posted by nusnus
Yes of course they should.

I just heard this news and it didn't even get the necessary attention it should have got!

What a lot of BS on the MSM.

Because its a non issue. Any attempt to arrest bush would violate US domestic laws, in addition to diplomatic protocol agreements.

reply to post by Xcathdra

Totally agree with you


Not all of us Canadians agree with Amnesty International, I could go on and on about there( to me) misguided missions. Canada won't do it period. Most people I talked with about it couldn't give a rats ass if he visits. I'd rather see Harper shakin hands with Bush anyday over other ominous leaders. Just a slide, I'd also rather hang out with Bush at his ranch for beer and bbq as opposed to playing basketball with the preacher Obama