In a surprise to many people, Obama decided to go to Congress to try and get approval under our U.S. Constitution (which the Constitution requires) to attack Syria. But such an attack also requires approval by the UN Security Council (a Charter the U.S. has agreed to and signed). And under the UN Charter, there's only two ways to use force against another country. One is in self-defense. The other is go to the UN Security Council and get a majority of nine to agree to the use of force. If you don't get it, it's an illegal war. It's a war crime. It would be considered a crime of aggression. It's the kind of crime that the Germans were tried for at Nuremberg. Obama knows that, but he is still intent on striking Syria even without UN permission. This would make him and other members of his cabinet War Criminals!

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  theREALnews                                                                           - Permalink -

US Attack On Syria Violates International Law

Michael Ratner: Without UN approval US attack on Syria violates international law - September 6, 13

Bio

Michael Ratner is President Emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) in New York and Chair of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights in Berlin. He is currently a legal adviser to Wikileaks and Julian Assange. He and CCR brought the first case challenging the Guantanamo detentions and continue in their efforts to close Guantanamo. He taught at Yale Law School, and Columbia Law School, and was President of the National Lawyers Guild. His current books include "Hell No: Your Right to Dissent in the Twenty-First Century America," and “ Who Killed Che? How the CIA Got Away With Murder.” NOTE: Mr. Ratner speaks on his own behalf and not for any organization with which he is affiliated.

"If Obama now strikes Syria, when he has no cover from the UN, or from NATO, or from the American people, or from Congress..." "[he] will have to be handed over and put on trial. He will have no more leg to stand on than did the Nazis." -- Paul Craig Roberts

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Will Obama Doom Himself As A War Criminal — Paul Craig Roberts

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August 30, 2013 | Original Here                                                   Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter

Will Obama Doom Himself As A War Criminal

Paul Craig Roberts

Obama, pushed by his Israeli and neocon masters, especially his National Security Adviser, Susan Rice, who, in effect, functions as an Israeli agent, crawled far out on the limb, only to have it sawed off by the British Parliament.

In response, the “socialist” president of France, Hollande, who lacks French support for France’s participation in a US/Israeli orchestrated military attack on Syria, has crawled back off the limb, saying that, while everything is still on the table, he has to see some evidence first.

As Cameron and Obama have made clear, there is no evidence. Even US intelligence has declared that there is no conclusive evidence that Assad used chemical weapons or even has control over the weapons.

Even the US puppet government in Canada has disavowed participating in the Obama/Israeli war crime.

This leaves Obama with support only from Turkey and Israel. Recently, the Turkish government shot down in the streets more of its own people–peaceful protesters, not imported mercenaries trying to overthrow the Turkish government–than were killed in the alleged use of chemical weapons by Assad.

As the entire world is aware, the Israeli government has been committing crimes against the people in Palestine for decades. A distinguished Jewish jurist concluded in an official report that the Israeli government committed war crimes in its attack on the civilian population of Gaza.

No country regards the criminal states of Turkey and Israel as cover for a war crime. If Obama is pushed by Susan Rice and the evil neocons, who are strongly allied with Israel, into going it alone and conducting a military strike on Syria, Obama will have made himself an unambiguous War Criminal under the Nuremberg Standard created by the US Government. Unprovoked military aggression is a war crime under international law. That is completely clear. There are no ifs or buts about it.

If Obama now strikes Syria, when he has no cover from the UN, or from NATO, or from the American people, or from Congress, having ignored the House and Senate, Obama will stand before the entire world, starkly, as a War Criminal. Unless the world is prepared to flush international law, arrest orders for the War Criminal will have to come from the Hague. Obama will have to be handed over and put on trial. He will have no more leg to stand on than did the Nazis.

The evil neocons are telling Obama that he must prove that he is a man and go it alone. If Obama does, he will prove that he is a War Criminal.

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Dr. Paul Craig Roberts says, "My prediction or expectation is by winter, the second downturn of the Great Recession will be in place. Unemployment will explode, more foreclosures are coming. It's going to be worse than the Great Depression."

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U.S. a Lawless State - Paul Craig Roberts

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24 JULY, 2013                                                                                                                                              Original Here


By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com 

Former Assistant Treasury Secretary Paul Craig Roberts says, “The country is not being run by the President.  It is being run by spy agencies and private interest groups, Wall Street and military security complex . . . They run the country.  The President is a puppet, a figurehead.”  Dr. Roberts contends, “If you are a lawless state, which the United States is, it obeys no international law.  It does not obey the Geneva Convention . . . It tortures people.  It doesn’t obey the Constitution.  It doesn’t obey anything.  It does what it wants. . . . If you are a lawless state, you disguise yourself as a democracy.”  Former President Jimmy Carter agrees.  Just last week, Carter said, “The U.S. has no functioning democracy at this moment.”  Why hasn’t the mainstream media picked up this astounding comment from a former Democratic President?  Dr. Roberts says, “Five firms now own what used to be a large dispersed independent media.  Nobody can open their mouth, they’d get fired.  They have become a propaganda ministry for government and corporations.”  Dr. Roberts goes on to say, “My prediction or expectation is by winter, the second downturn of the Great Recession will be in place.  Unemployment will explode, more foreclosures are coming.  It’s going to be worse than the Great Depression.”  Join Greg Hunter as he goes One-on-One with economist Dr. Paul Craig Roberts.   

http://youtu.be/buqJP7y115s

Edward Snowden and Julian Assange have been in the news, but if you have relied on the "mainstream media" for the latest you certainly would not have heard things this way.

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   MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013

Where is Edward Snowden? Glenn Greenwald on Asylum Request, Espionage Charge; More Leaks to Come
Original Here

"Back Off": Assange Attorney Michael Ratner Urges U.K., U.S. to Respect Asylum Decision, Int’l Law
Original Here
 

OBAMA IS VIOLATING INTERNATIONAL -- AS WELL AS AMERICAN -- LAWS BY KILLING PEOPLE WITH DRONES. DO ANY AMERICANS CARE?

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 theREALnews                                                                               Permalink

December 9, 2012 

Obama Writing "Rules" for Killing People with Drones 

Michael Ratner: Pres. Obama debating rules that allow him to kill extra-judicially anyone considered an enemy combatant anywhere in the world including US citizens and by logical extension, within the United States


Bio 

Michael Ratner is President Emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) in New York and Chair of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights in Berlin. He is currently a legal adviser to Wikileaks and Julian Assange. He and CCR brought the first case challenging the Guantanamo detentions and continue in their efforts to close Guantanamo. He taught at Yale Law School, and Columbia Law School, and was President of the National Lawyers Guild. His current books include "Hell No: Your Right to Dissent in the Twenty-First Century America," and “ Who Killed Che? How the CIA Got Away With Murder.” NOTE: Mr. Ratner speaks on his own behalf and not for any organization with which he is affiliated.