Nick!

We can all assume it's been a busy weekend over in the US as the latest wikileaks revelations are on view.  The leaks document grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. 

Wiki details the Conventions in easily readable non-legalese form:

Grave breaches

Not all violations of the treaty are treated equally. The most serious crimes are termed grave breaches, and provide a legal definition of a war crime. Grave breaches of the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions include the following acts if committed against a person protected by the convention:

• willful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, including biological experiments
• willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health
• compelling one to serve in the forces of a hostile power
• willfully depriving one of the right to a fair trial

Also considered grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention are the following:

• taking of hostages
• extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly
• unlawful deportation, transfer, or confinement.[11]

Nations who are party to these treaties must enact and enforce legislation penalizing any of these crimes.[12] Nations are also obligated to search for persons alleged to commit these crimes, or ordered them to be committed, and to bring them to trial regardless of their nationality and regardless of the place where the crimes took place.

The principle of universal jurisdiction also applies to the enforcement of grave breaches. Toward this end, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia were established by the United Nations to prosecute alleged violations.

Nick Clegg, reported on France 24 says:

"I'm assuming the US administration will want to provide its own answer. It's not for us to tell them how to do that.

http://www.france24.com/en/20101024-us-under-pressure-over-wikileaks-allegations

Mr Clegg, the rule of law applies to everyone  It is for the whole world to tell them exactly how to do that.  In a court, an International Court.


All nations must insist on it.  Indeed, the US had a partner in this atrocity, the UK, and we too must comply.  If that means UK officials and UK military are put on trial, then so be it. 

The law applies to everyone, to every nation, irrespective of riches in money or firepower.