# Tommy Franks accused of war crimes by Belgian politician

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tommy-franks-accused-of-war-crimes-by-belgian-politician/175299>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [May 14, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tommy-franks-accused-of-war-crimes-by-belgian-politician/175299 "2003-05-14T23:30:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tommy-franks-accused-of-war-crimes-by-belgian-politician/175299/41 "2003-05-17T17:19:58Z")

</div>

Thanks **Age Quod Agis** for answering yojimbo’s off topic link. I noticed that today, though you set him straight yesterday. Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tommy-franks-accused-of-war-crimes-by-belgian-politician/175299/42 "2003-05-17T20:35:16Z")

</div>

[Now it’s serious.](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=564&e=1&u=/nm/20030517/ts_nm/usa_belgium_franks_dc_2) He’ll need to hire a lawyer pronto. I’d cancel any European vacations.

> [@](#):
>
> BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium’s Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said on Saturday he would send a war crimes lawsuit filed in Belgium against the commander of U.S.-led forces in Iraq (news - web sites) to the United States next week.
> 
> The lawsuit was filed earlier this week by 19 Iraqis against U.S. General Tommy Franks and a U.S. Marine colonel over the use of cluster bombs and alleged U.S. attacks on ambulances and civilians during the war in Iraq.
> 
> Speaking a day before the country’s federal election, Verhofstadt called the lawsuit an abuse of a controversial law that allows Belgian courts to try foreigners for war crimes and other human rights violations.
> 
> “The law leaves open the possibility of sending back the complaint to the United States and that is what I…aim to do,” he said in an interview with local VTM television. “Next week, I will call for a cabinet meeting and…undo this abuse.”

Eh? Does he mean give the complaint and jurisdiction to a US court? Can the cabinet do that?

> [@](#):
>
> **Tee** : Think they’ll correct that?

Being our allies in the war on Iraq? 😕 I guess bailing now might be an opportune time. The reconstruction does not appear to be going swimmingly. Although, WTF do I know? Don’t answer that.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tee)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tommy-franks-accused-of-war-crimes-by-belgian-politician/175299/43 "2003-05-17T21:39:35Z")

</div>

I wasn’t aware that they were our allies in Iraq. Spain, yes, we had official support but Belgium?

I think Verhofstadt’s news is good news, though I don’t know the workings of it…it will not be pursued in Belgium. That’s pretty good, it solves the problem of having to keep him away from any meetings at NATO headquarters. lol.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tommy-franks-accused-of-war-crimes-by-belgian-politician/175299/44 "2003-05-17T22:18:54Z")

</div>

No that must be a mistake. Belgium was very outspoken against a war of agression.  
There appears to have been a jewish cafe across the road, maybe the assholes got the adresses mixed-up.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tommy-franks-accused-of-war-crimes-by-belgian-politician/175299.md?page=2)