[Peace-discuss] Greece

[Dlind49 at aol.com]

http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/cy/Qiraq-greece-britain-icj.RPfR_DyN.html

Greek lawyers to sue Britain for Iraq crimes against
humanity 


ATHENS, May 23 (AFP) - The Athens lawyers' association
said Friday it plans to sue Britain at the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) over crimes
against humanity allegedly committed in the Iraq war.

The 20,000-strong association "has drawn up a lawsuit,
initially against British officials, over crimes
against humanity and war crimes perpetrated in Iraq
and will deposit it with the ICJ prosecutor," it said
in a statement.

"The unjustified attack on Iraq by the allied American
and British forces constitutes a violation of
international law, of the charter of the United
Nations, of international humanitarian law and of the
statutes of the ICJ," it said.

The statement added that the complaint was the first
of its kind to be made at the Hague-based ICJ -- the
UN's highest judicial organ.

On Tuesday, the Belgian government decided to pass on
to American prosecutors a lawsuit filed in Brussels
against the US commander in the Iraq war for alleged
war crimes.

It took the decision on the advice of the federal
prosecutor's office, where the suit was filed last
week against US General Tommy Franks.

Seventeen Iraqis and two Jordanians filed the suit
under Belgium's "universal competence" law, which
allows charges to be brought regardless of where the
alleged crimes took place.