Here Come Da Judge

One of the truisms of American thought is that Americans do not engage in two activities – terrorism, and war crimes. Therefore, when Americans engage in terrorism and war crimes, it becomes necessary to change the name of terrorism and war crimes to something else. “Liberation” is a common theme, as is “collateral damage”.

In a story published in Turkish Daily News worthy of 18 words in the Wall Street Journal, and reported nowhere else in this grand free land, Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon announced in an opinion piece in newspaper El Pais (published on the fourth anniversary of the Iraq invasion), that it was time to go after the leaders who gave us the Iraq war.

He minces no words – I’m impressed, and fully understand the news blackout here:

We should look more deeply into the possible criminal responsibility of the people who are, or were, responsible for this war and see whether there is sufficient evidence to make them answer for it. … There is enough of an argument in 650,000 deaths for this investigation and inquiry to start without more delay. …

Note that the number “650,000″, unless we are referring the the population of Memphis, is also blacked out of American media.

Garzon will be coming after Cheney and Bush and company, but he is also aware of Spain’s involvement in the war. Speaking of the former leaders of his own country, Garzon said

Those who joined the U.S. president in the war against Iraq have as much or more responsibility than him because despite having doubts and biased information, they put themselves in the hands of the aggressor to carry out an ignoble act of death and destruction that continues to this day.

Garzon is famous for his pursuit of American-backed Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. He’s relentless. I look for a movement here to freeze relations with Spain, to block trade, to demand that Garzon step down or be relegated to traffic court.

After all, even when the US engages in war crimes and terrorism, you just can’t say it. It’s not allowed, and that goes for everybody. Dammit.