In a press conference on Sept. 18, Jeanne Mirer, president of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), also criticized the targeted killings. “Extrajudicial killing (EJK) of this type is illegal. The whole idea of EJK is anathema to international law and human rights law,” Mirer said.
Obama and Bush: No Difference
“It does not surprise me…The only difference is that Bush does it the hard way while Obama does it the soft way,” Roland Weyl, IADL first vice president and dean of the Paris Bar Association, said.
“The Asia Pacific is surrounded by US military bases…[in some countries], there is the VFA [Visiting Forces Agreement], military demonstrations against North Korea,” Weyl said.
“Obama lied to us. He has not changed anything,” Luis Roberto Zamora Bolanos from Costa Rica, a constitutional lawyer advocating against sending troops to Iraq, said.
Roland Weyl, IADL first vice president and dean of the Paris Bar Association. (Photo by Ronalyn V. Olea / bulatlat.com)
“How naïve could we be for believing that he [Obama] can change things? He does not and will not,” Bolanos said, adding that US foreign policy would remain the same.
Quoting former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Bolanos said, “In every international forum, they would keep on talking about change but they would still maintain the status quo,” Bolanos said.
“Why on earth are there US military bases in Latin America? It is there to limit the political independence of countries,” Bolanes said. “Asia is under constant aggression not only by the US but by countries with US military bases,” he added.
“War is an economy…the manufacturers of high-tech weapons are the ones that put presidents into power,” Bolanos added.
US, Violator of UN Charter
Weyl said US military bases and the military alliances it formed are infringing on the United Nations (UN) Charter. He said even a defensive/preemptive alliance is forbidden in the UN Charter and that the purpose of the Security Council is to maintain and restore peace.
Luis Roberto Zamora Bolanos from Costa Rica, a constitutional lawyer against sending troops to Iraq. (Photo by Ronalyn V. Olea / bulatlat.com)
“But the US is replacing the UN Charter system with the US system,” Weyl said.
Weyl said during the first Gulf War, the US bought the votes of states in the Security Council. During the recent US invasion of Iraq, Weyl said, the Bush-Blair coalition was not able to secure the vote of the majority in the UN Security Council in favor of the war but nevertheless proceeded with it.
Bolanos said the UN charter is a document obeyed by no one. “It is most absurd and most ridiculous that the UN headquarters is in a country that violates it most,” Bolanos said, noting that none of the UN members have been sanctioned.
Peoples of the World
Governments are only instruments, Weyl said. “The peoples must exercise their power. The peoples are masters of international society.” Weyl said. “Law is a struggle of the peoples.”
Bolanos said peoples must learn how to resist US aggression.
“History has demonstrated that empires fall because they are overstretched. The US is broke because they are fighting wars all over the world,” Bolanos said. (Bulatlat.com)
As much as I admire the US Armed Forces for their brave work in WWI and WWII I have to admit that American Imperialism is a major cause of American involvement in all their wars.
From their War Of Independence to today's conflicts all the wars that America got involved in had a money angle, namely international free trade to allow American companies to deal where ever and when ever they want.
As long as money is made for America or taxes paid to America then America will enforce their beliefs to have a trading connection with no interruptions.