I want more than Bush and Cheney's heads. I want all of them, every single one who was complicit in the planning and conduct of the Iraq war. If you go back and study the Nuremberg trials and other actions taken in Germany after WWII, you see an effort to completely cleanse the country from the people and policies that caused the holocaust.
Holding agressors personally responsible for agression would fulfill the vision of the post WWII Nuremberg Charter, a landmark document for which the U.S., is largely responsible. The intent of holding the Nazis accountable was not just victor's revenge, but a desire to establish a precedent against agressive war.
The Project for a New American Century (PNAC) was a neocon thinktank cofounded in 1997 by William Kristol and Robert Kagen. The stated goal was to "promote American global leadership", primarily through the use of our military. PNAC members and supporters literally filled Bush's foreign policy staffs and clearly influenced the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq. The list of supporters are a who's who of the Bush administration.
I won't get into the details, but the PNAC goals and agenda were all about American world dominance, plain and simple. That of course included oil. But more importantly, control of the middle east that would put the U.S. in the best position to retain world dominance. Those responsible for this agenda have their names all over it.
The Principles of the Nuremberg Tribunal, which were implemented into international law in 1950 via the International Law Commission are as follows:
Principle I - any person who commits an act against international law is responsible thereof and liable for punishment.
Principle II - The fact that internal law does not impose a penalty for an act which constitutes a crime under international law does not relieve the person who commited the act from responsibiity under international law;
Principle III - The fact the a person who committed an act which constitutes a crime under international law acted as head of state or responsible government official does not relieve him from responsibility under international law.
Principle IV - The fact that a person acted pursuant to order from his Government or of a superior does not relieve him from responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was available to him.
Principle V - Any person charged with a crime under international law has the right to a fair trial on the facts and law.
Principle VI - The crimes hereafter set out are punishable as crimes under international law:
a. Crimes against Peace
i. Planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of agression or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements, or assurances.
ii. Participation in a common plan or a conspiracy for the accomplishment of any of the acts mentioned under i.
b. War Crimes: Violations of the laws or customs of war, which include but are not limited to, murder, ill treatment or deportation to slave labor, of for any other purpose of civilian population of or in occupied territory, murder or ill treatment of prisoners of war, of persons on the seas, killing of hostages, plunder of public and private property, wanton destruction of cities, towns and villages, or devastation not justifed by military necessity.
c. Crimes against humanity Murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, and any other inhumane acts done against a civilian population, or persecutions on political, racial, or religious grounds, when such acts or such persecutions are are carried on in execution of or in connection with any crime against peace or any war crime.
Principle VII - Complicity in the commission of a crime against peace, a war crime, or a crime against humanity, as set forth in Principle VI, is a crime against international law.
The Iraq war was clearly illegal according to Principle VIa. The reason for that is quite simple, they lied. They fabricated evidence to wage an illegal war. And this was done because that was the plan all along. The only way this country can truly move forward is investigate who was involved and mete out the appropriate punishment.
Obama should start by issuing an apology to the Iraqi people and the international community. That would put it out there that it was an illegal and inhumane war. Then uncover exactly who was involved in the conspiracy, including the likes of William Kristol, and ask the Haque to do it's thing. The United States was largely responsible for the Nuremberg Principles, and the United States should stand up and reaffirm them.
Over 60 years ago, we put Nazis on trial, partly to remind the world that aggressive wars will not be tolerated and those who do so will be held accountable. It must be done again.