The Nuremberg Principles

Last night we watched “Nuremberg” again. It’s the made-for-television film with Alec Baldwin, Jill Hennessy and Brian Cox which presents a semi-documentary treatment of the International Military Tribunal of Nuremberg, the trial of the most important Nazi party members after World War II. Though it’s unremarkable as cinema, it’s historic content keeps it timely and relevant, now more than ever. The Nuremberg Principles were a set of guidelines elaborated by the American, British, French and Russian members of the tribunal for determining what constitutes a war crime. They are still considered binding in international law. I Googled “Nuremberg Principles” and they made a chill run down my spine. I could comment on them, but I prefer not to. They speak so eloquently for themselves. And you’re a discerning reader; you can connect today’s dots. Here’s what I found:

Is Condi Rice Initiating Her Plea Bargaining Already?

All the British papers are up in arms because they’ve just found out that the United States’ “extraordinary renditioning” aircraft did touch down on British soil. Reporters from The Times, Francis Elliott and Frances Gibb, affirm:

British facilities were used by the US to transport terrorist suspects at least twice, despite repeated government denials – including by Tony Blair – that the UK had any involvement in extraordinary rendition flights.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, admitted that two US flights carrying terrorist suspects refuelled at the airbase on the British Indian Ocean territory of Diego Garcia in 2002.

In a statement to the Commons he apologised to MPs for having to correct previous denials, blaming a US “administrative error” that had only just come to light. Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, had expressed her “deep regret” at the error and had phoned him to apologise on Wednesday.

Mark Pallis of The Guardian, details how the Brits were, er, finessed back in 2005 when foreign secretary Jack Strawaffirmed before the British foreign affairs select committee in December of that year:

Unless we all start to believe in conspiracy theories, and that the officials are lying, I’m lying and that behind and that behind this there is some kind of secret state in league with some dark forces in the US, and we believe Secretary [of State Condoleezza] Rice is lying, there is simply no truth in claims that the UK has been involved in rendition.

Funny that Mr. Straw should have expressed it so eloquently and so explicitly, as that is exactly what we believed, though we have not been able to confirm it until now.