Viceroy Bremer will soon be signing an order that says US military, officials, and civilian contractors are ‘immune from prosecution’ for crimes they may have committed in Iraq while ‘acting on behalf of their parent states.’
U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer is expected to extend Order 17 as one of his last acts before shutting down the occupation next week, U.S. officials said. The order is expected to last an additional six or seven months, until the first national elections are held.The United States would draw legal authority from Iraq’s Transitional Administrative Law and the recent U.N. resolution recognizing the new government and approving a multinational force, but some U.S. officials and countries in the multinational force still want greater reassurances on immunity, U.S. officials said.
Bush’s top foreign policy advisers, including Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, are still debating the scope of immunity to be granted. “The debate is on the extent or parameters of coverage — should it be sweeping, as it is now, or more limited,” said a senior U.S. official familiar with discussions, speaking anonymously because of the sensitivity of the issue.
‘Sensitivity’, that’s a good one. But of course, Bush didn’t order torture, so presumably that won’t be covered by Order 17, right? For some reason, I doubt the defense attorneys are going to see it that way…
Arranology 