The Case for Impeaching the Prime Minister
In normal circumstances when a person commits a crime he is arrested, charged and tried for the offence and if found guilty, punished. There is no doubt that the Prime Minister and Britain’s political, civil and military leaders have abused their power and by attacking Iraqis are committing the worst crimes known to domestic and international law. They must be held to account for these crimes in court. As Britain’s senior law enforcement authorities are complicit in these crimes, and have failed to arrest, charge or prosecute the offenders, the country must fall back on Impeachment by Parliament as a last resort.
By ordering British forces to join with American forces in the armed invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Prime Minister and his colleagues caused the violent deaths of at least 20,000 and possibly 100,000 innocent men, women and children. None of these victims had been charged with an offence, represented in court, or found guilty of a capital crime. None were shown mercy before being slaughtered by Coalition armed forces using indiscriminate weapons of mass destruction such as cruise missiles, rockets, cluster bombs and depleted uranium shells. Under Britain’s most recent criminal law, the International Criminal Court Act 2001, these unlawful killings of Iraqi citizens constitute the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
These three criminal offences which continue today are the worst crimes known to mankind. As lawyers, Tony Blair, Jack Straw, Geoff Hoon, Peter Goldsmith, Derry Irvine and Lord Falconer know full well that killing another human being is a criminal offence, and yet they tried to persuade the British public that this unlawful mass murder of totally innocent men, women and children was both the right thing to do and was legal. Nothing could be further from the truth. These are the worst crimes ever committed by elected British leaders and they must be stopped now.
Every Member of Parliament has a responsibility to the British people and to humankind to halt these horrific crimes by impeaching the Prime Minister before both Houses of Parliament for the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. If Parliament fails to hold Tony Blair and his co-conspirators to account for their crimes then it will have failed in its fundamental duty to the people of Britain. Every law abiding citizen must strive continuously to uphold the rule of law over the rule of war.
Chris Coverdale,
Action Against War, November 2004 |
