Australia Considers Taking Ahmadinejad to International Court
Yeah… I prefer the Court of Military Justice – a.ka. A bomb with Ahmadinejad’s name on it…
H/T – Gramfan
Canberra considers taking Iran’s president to court
Wednesday May 14, 2008 – NZ Herald
CANBERRA – Australia is mulling whether to launch a case in the International Court of Justice against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for inciting violence against Israel, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Wednesday.
Rudd said Ahmadinejad had made repeated anti-Semitic statements that must be condemned by the international community.
“The Iranian president’s repeated extraordinary statements which are anti-Semitic and expressing a determination to eliminate the modern state of Israel from the map are appalling by any standards of current international relations,” Rudd told Australia’s Sky TV.
“They are an incitement of international violence and what we have said in the past is that we will take legal advice, which the attorney general is currently doing, on whether there is a profitable way forward here through the appropriate international legal mechanisms and we’ll study that advice carefully,” he said.
Rudd, a Chinese speaking former diplomat, said the Iranian comments were “dangerous stuff” in the context of international relations.
“It’s not just hyperbole from the bully pulpit of Tehran, it’s the roll-on effect across the Islamic world, particularly those who listen to Iran for their guidance,” Rudd said.
A national newspaper, The Australian, reported Wednesday that Rudd had promised the Australian Jewish community before be came to power at elections in November last year to pursue Ahmadinejad in the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
The United Nation’s court settles disputes between states according to international law and gives advice to the United Nations on legal issues.
Attorney General Robert McClelland told the newspaper that taking legal action against Iran was better than the alternative.
“The alternative to not using these international legal mechanisms is considering wholesale invasion of countries, which itself involves, obviously, expense but more relevantly, of course, the potential for significant loss of life,” the newspaper quoted McClelland as saying.
An official of the Iranian Embassy in Australia was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.
14 May, 2008 at 11:58 am
Hmm, this Rudd guy might not be so bad after all. Too bad this won’t happen.
15 May, 2008 at 7:19 am
Don’t jump into this too quickly.
Rudd is the Aussie equivalent of Obama although not nearly as dangerous and powerful as Obama will be if/when he wins.
OTOH if anyone takes notice of Rudd in the global arena it could be good even though he is a media slut of the first order and doesn’t have the substance of his predecessor John Howard.
Does Australia rate a blip on the world scene? Anyone?? I am really interested in your thoughts on this.
Personally I doubt it. Less people than the state of California, miles away,,I dunno.
Having said that I am always treated with the utmost courtesy and respect when in the US, and everyone says,”I want to go to OZ – it’s just too far”.
This makes me laugh a bit cos it is just as far for me, but in the opposite direction.
What’s 14 hours in a plane? Many of us work that long in one shift – I have done it.
15 May, 2008 at 7:46 am
Australia continues to be one of the U.S.’s closest allies in the War on Islamic Fascism. They are fighting right alongside our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq (although I’m a little miffed that this Rudd character seems to want to withdraw the troops from Afghanistan and Iraq ASAP….)
The Australian government donated more money to the Tsunami victims in 2004 than ANY other government!
So, as to your question about Australia rating a blip on the world scene:
Yes, it does and Australia Rocks!
However, PM Rudd is BAD NEWS!
I really miss John Howard…
Well, that’s my two cents, anyway…
Cheers
Oh, and I forgot to mention Chaz and the rest of the blokes on “The Chasers War on Everything” are hilarious – even if I don’t always agree with them, I can always count on them to crack me up!!!