Unwilling Isolationism
by digby
The world may be getting smaller for some important war criminals. First there was this from last year:
Former President George W. Bush has canceled a visit to Switzerland, where he was to address a Jewish charity gala, due to the risk of legal action against him for alleged torture, rights groups said on Saturday.
Bush was to be the keynote speaker at Keren Hayesod's annual dinner on February 12 in Geneva. But pressure has been building on the Swiss government to arrest him and open a criminal investigation if he enters the Alpine country.
Criminal complaints against Bush alleging torture have been lodged in Geneva, court officials say.
And now this:
A Spanish judge says he is proceeding with a probe into human rights abuses at the U.S. prison for terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, after Washington failed to respond to requests for information.
The probe stems from torture complaints filed by four Muslims who are either citizens or residents of Spain and were once held at the prison.
The probe had been on hold while Judge Pablo Ruz awaited a response from the United States. Ruz said Friday he had received no answer from the U.S. and had thus decided to continue the case.
The judge asked prosecutors to report back to him with the names of U.S. officials who should be targeted in the probe.
The way we're going, no American official will ever be allowed to leave the country once they are out of office. You'd think that prospect would alarm them. Or at least make them responsive to requests from foreign courts, even if it's just to keep up appearances.
In the end Ron Paul may win on foreign policy without ever winning. The rest of the world may not give the US the choice --- they may isolate us whether we want it or not. Unfortunately, it's what comes right before that that's worrying.
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