Belgium court ejects war crimes cases against US-Israeli officials

By: Nabil Raza

BRUSSELS, Belgium: The highest court of Belgium on Wednesday dismissed war crimes complaints against former US President George Bush plus other current American officials and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, saying the country no longer has a legal basis to charge them.

The cases were based on a Belgian universal jurisdiction law allowing for foreigners to file genocide and war crimes complaints against foreign leaders, and empowering Belgian courts to accept such cases regardless of the nationality of the perpetrator or the place of the crime.

Tuesday, Brussels appeals court rejected a war crimes case filed by 17 Iraqis and two Jordanians against retired US General Tommy Franks, commander of the US forces that attacked Iraq. The court said that under the 5 August amendment to the universal law, Franks couldn’t be tried in Belgium, as he is neither a Belgian national nor living in Belgium.

According to observers the Belgian government amended the law because of strong pressure from the US and Israel. During a visit to Brussels in June, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld threatened to move the seat of NATO if the competence law was not scrapped.

The decision is expected to improve Belgium's diplomatic relations with the United States and Israel.

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Hundreds of protestors decry headscarf ban in Belgium

BRUSSELS, Belgium: Hundreds of demonstrators on Sunday took to the streets of Brussels protesting against a recent decision by a school regarding banning of its girl students from wearing the Islamic headscarf.

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