Accountability?

(noon. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

Andrew Sullivan has a funny sense of accountability.  Essentially, because the Chilcot Inquiry forced Tony Blair to be “answerable,” in words only, and defiant words at that, for his role in a war of aggression, the most heinous criminal acts imaginable, the “most serious crimes of concern to the international community,” crimes against peace, including

(i) Planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances;

(ii) Participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of any of the acts mentioned under (i).

Sullivan thinks a score has been settled?  An account has been balanced?  A debt has been paid?  Tony Blair is no longer in arrears?

As Robert Jackson said,

To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.

Whatever technical legal standards apply to Blair’s case, he certainly violated the spirit of the laws of war in every possible way.

1. He failed to achieve the “limited” political goal of war (removing WMD threat).

2. He failed to bring the war to a quick end once the goal was (un)achieved.

3. He failed to protect people and property unconnected to war from unnecessary destruction, hardship, and suffering.

4. He failed to protect alleged combatants and prisoners of war from unspeakably savage human rights violations, including torture.

5. He failed to restore peace and order.  His exit was “cut and run.”

FAIL.  FAIL.  FAIL.  FAIL.  FAIL.

Let’s add another:

6. He failed to honor the blood, treasure, and patriotism of his own citizens.

Tony Blair opened the ledger and deducted a blood debt of a million innocent lives, while savaging, shattering, and displacing many millions more.   On the other side of the ledger, Blair says this is paid back by the world being safer.   Andrew Sullivan calls this “accountability.”  

There were no WMDs, no threats.  The world is NOT safer.  In fact, it is A HELL of a lot more violent and unstable, precisely due to Blair.  Blair’s wordy defiance and lack of true accountability set new precedents and incentives for crimes against peace and humanity.  

I’d also add that Sullivan’s own video indicates that British citizens feel cheated:

Update

Andrew develops a sense of smell.