First off- I’m not saying the asshole isn’t a war criminal, I’m wondering what specifically he could be charged with in a hypothetical trip to the Hague. As vp he didn’t really have any power to order anything, did he? Was he more or less “just” a co-conspirator?
Being charged and being convicted are two different things.
co-conspirators are generally liable to the same degree as the principals.
Presumably he participated in the decisions authorizing torture, even if GWB was The Decider. At any rate, that’s the sort of thing that needed a thorough investigation about 5-6 years back, rather than just putting the past behind us. You identify the persons who participated at the hands-on level, then find out from them who they got their orders from, and work up the ladder until you get to the ultimate source of the orders.
Then the prosecutor takes to court those who he’s got sufficient evidence to charge, and the court decides.
Unfortunately, other than a few of the Abu Ghraib guards who were court-martialed, none of this was ever done. Equal justice, my ass. :mad:
**1. Participation in a common plan of conspiracy for the accomplishment of crimes against peace
- Planning, initiating and waging wars of aggression and other crimes against peace**
(These can be laid at the feet of GWB and Cheney, of course, but most dudes in the know think that Cheney was the PuppetMaster).
4. Crimes against Humanity Crimes committed well away from the lines of battle and unconnected in any way to military activity.
Mind you, the crimes at Abu Ghraib prison pale in comparison to what the other side did. But we’re supposed to be the Good Guys.
Cheney wouldn’t have had the power to directly issue orders. But if it could be shown there had been meetings where Cheney had advocated illegal actions and those actions were subsequently ordered by other people at the meeting, he could be charged as a conspirator. He would have been a planner of the actions even if he didn’t sign the orders.