Keith Olbermann interviews Jonathan Turley on London mayor Boris Johnson’s warning that if Bush comes to Europe to flog his ‘memoirs’, he might be arrested.
Johnson, a Tory (conservative), wrote in the Daily Telegraph last week,
‘ It is not yet clear whether George W Bush is planning to cross the Atlantic to flog us his memoirs, but if I were his PR people I would urge caution. As book tours go, this one would be an absolute corker. It is not just that every European capital would be brought to a standstill, as book-signings turned into anti-war riots. The real trouble — from the Bush point of view — is that he might never see Texas again.
One moment he might be holding forth to a great perspiring tent at Hay-on-Wye. The next moment, click, some embarrassed member of the Welsh constabulary could walk on stage, place some handcuffs on the former leader of the Free World, and take him away to be charged. Of course, we are told this scenario is unlikely. Dubya is the former leader of a friendly power, with whom this country is determined to have good relations. But that is what torture-authorising Augusto Pinochet thought. And unlike Pinochet, Mr Bush is making no bones about what he has done. ‘
It would be very nice to believe that confessing to ordering torture could have some negative consequences.
It is to the British people’s great credit that Blair is not able to do book signings in the UK. Here in Australia, former PM John Howard is promoting HIS book and so far only one shoe-throwing incident reported. For shame! We should all be throwing boots!
What a beautiful thought.
Bush should have been impeached a long time ago. Now if we don’t arrest Bush and prosecute him for war crimes then we look like a Banana Republic. Ooops, we are one.
The refusal of the Obama Administration to investigate and prosecute violations (now openly confessed) of American laws by Bush&Co is as ugly a stain on the USA as any other recent one, of which there are many. However, this refusal (and the running of applicable American statutes of limitations, if any) should energize all ICC-like universal-jurisdiction efforts to arrest these splendid examples of American manhood. How this would play out in light of the very many anti-ICC treaties the USA has forced on the world remains to be seen.
Does anyone really believe the Secret Service would stand by while “some embarrassed member of the Welsh constabulary could walk on stage, place some handcuffs on the former leader of the Free World, and take him away to be charged?” Damned unlikely, I’d say.
Credenhill is just up the road.
Don’t for one minute think that Boris is concerned about human rights in this instance, it’s just that diplomatic protection in the UK is the responsibility of “The Met”, and as Mayor of London Boris would have to pay for it and in the current economic climate he can’t afford it and this is a easy way to tell the Chimp to fuck orf.
If I spent a 1000 years trying to top this, I could think of no single act that would secure Bush’s reputation in the US, than if he were arrested in Europe. It would ensure his popularity for 200 years. And almost guarantee that Jeb would be President. In fact, if I were in the leadership of the GOP I would be on my knees begging him to go. And to publicize why he is going. To call their bluff. Loud, Texas style. Like John Wayne strolling through town. And Jeb would be in the front row of the beggars.
Don’t get me wrong. Personally, I hate the guy and think he is worthy of a war crimes investigation. But arrest him? Man, this would high Hollywood Farce material. But boy could Rove spin it. Fox News? Fox News would run with it for days. Weeks. Like Ted Koppel and the Hostages.
Your link in this sentence:
Johnson, a Tory (conservative), wrote in the Daily Telegraph last week,
Points to link to juancole.com
It should point to:
link to telegraph.co.uk
Link in clickable form:
George W. Bush can’t fight for freedom and authorise torture – Telegraph
Mr. Bush could try his hand at chamber debating in the Oxford Union.
Please GW Bush, go to Europe. I’m praying they’ll have the courage to do what we should have done years ago!
From Boris Johnson’s lips to God’s ear.
They ought to reserve the Slobodan Milosevic suite in the Hague for the bastard!
Please pay attention to what’s written above. This would be t elect Palin or Jeb Bush President of the United States. As much as some Americans loathe Dubya, there are many more who despise Europeans and Brits more. To prevent impeachment by his Yahoos, Hopey-Dopey would have to send in the marines to rescue the bastard.
It’s just a matter of time before Bush is prosecuted for his war crimes. Here’s hoping sooner rather than later.