http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2982640.ece

Quote :

"AMERICA has told Britain that it can “kidnap” British citizens if they are wanted for crimes in the United States. A senior lawyer for the American government has told the Court of Appeal in London that kidnapping foreign citizens is permissible under American law because the US Supreme Court has sanctioned it. The admission will alarm the British business community after the case of the so-called NatWest Three, bankers who were extradited to America on fraud charges. More than a dozen other British executives, including senior managers at British Airways and BAE Systems, are under investigation by the US authorities and could face criminal charges in America. Until now it was commonly assumed that US law permitted kidnapping only in the “extraordinary rendition” of terrorist suspects. Related Links * NatWest trio allowed time to pay off debts The American government has for the first time made it clear in a British court that the law applies to anyone, British or otherwise, suspected of a crime by Washington. "

12/4/2007 10:44:24 AM

damn i hope other countries don't start convicting US citizens in absentia and then kidnapping us off our streets

12/4/2007 10:45:22 AM

Are we saying that we can "kidnap" them from their own countries. I hope Britain stands up for this gross violation of international law. If Syria "kidnapped" someone from this country that violated the law in Damascus before flying back to the US; we'd be dropping bombs on them and threatening invasion.

12/4/2007 10:48:30 AM

git er dun

12/4/2007 10:51:21 AM

paging salisbury

12/4/2007 10:51:52 AM

I don't know if it started with this administration or what, but it seems like there is an atmosphere in our executive branch, and possibly further, of the US being the BSD in the world and we can do whatever we want and fuck everyone else. It's unbelievable.

12/4/2007 10:52:43 AM

In 1950, the Israelis kidnapped Adolf Eichmann from Argentina and brought him to trial for nazi war crimes. Are we Ok with that?

12/4/2007 10:55:34 AM

Quote :

"Are we Ok with that? "

shouldn't be. Sounds like some Soviet Union KGB shit. Sounds like a great idea though doing whatever the fuck we want to. Sooner or later we are going to piss everyone off. As bad ass as our military is; I do not think we can fight everyone.

12/4/2007 10:57:14 AM

we have more then enough warheads to deal with the entire world

rather pyrrhic victory though, eh?

12/4/2007 11:24:05 AM

If the British government says it is OK for us to go into their country and find criminals that have wronged the United States, then I don't see the problem? I should hope we are providing evidence to their government of our case, just like we would a DA here, before we go trying to pluck them off their streets.

If I committed crimes in the UK, and I was a criminal, then I shouldn't expect the United States to protect me from them.

The problem is the slippery slope and tenuous evidence. As long as everything is clear and in the open for all to see, I don't have a problem with it.

Quote :

"shouldn't be. Sounds like some Soviet Union KGB shit. Sounds like a great idea though doing whatever the fuck we want to. Sooner or later we are going to piss everyone off. As bad ass as our military is; I do not think we can fight everyone. "

Why shouldn't we be? Did you even check this guy's history? Here ya go

Quote :

"(known as Adolf Eichmann; March 19, 1906 – June 1, 1962) was a high-ranking Nazi and SS Obersturmbannführer (equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel). Due to his organizational talents and ideological reliability, he was charged by Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich with the task of facilitating and managing the logistics of mass deportation to ghettos and extermination camps in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe. After the war, he traveled to Argentina using a fraudulently obtained laissez-passer issued by the International Red Cross[1][2] and lived there under a false identity. He was captured by Israeli Mossad agents in Argentina and tried in Israeli court on fifteen criminal charges, including crimes against humanity and war crimes. He was convicted and hanged."

If Israel wants to go find him, if Iceland wants to go find him, if Sudan wants to go find him, I think characters like this should be hunted down and held responsible for their crimes.

12/4/2007 11:27:03 AM

that makes sense.....our court says we can come into your country and kidnap your citizens, so it's OK, nothing to see here.

12/4/2007 11:27:39 AM

Quote :

"If the British government says it is OK for us to go into their country and find criminals that have wronged the United States, then I don't see the problem"

If we appealed to the UK and they gave us the "OK" then fine. I am suspicious though as to why UK MI5 or its police force did not apprehend the criminals and extradite them to the US. I could see this easily being a "you better let us go in and get this fuck if you british know whats good for you" type of deal though given Bush's sword waving foreign policy in the past.

Quote :

"If Israel wants to go find him, if Iceland wants to go find him, if Sudan wants to go find him, I think characters like this should be hunted down and held responsible for their crimes. "

How about it is not our jurisdiction to bring the law of the land into another country. If Argentina wants to forfeit the guy to face war crimes then so be it.

[Edited on December 4, 2007 at 11:52 AM. Reason : l]

12/4/2007 11:50:10 AM

Quote :

"How about it is not our jurisdiction to bring the law of the land into another country. "

Well what we are actually doing is bringing the accused out of their jurisdiction and into ours.

I think if we have an exradition treaty with a country, then they get to decide. If the host country doesn't want to send someone back..then cased closed.

If we have no treaty with the country, then I think we can go get 'em.

If we have a extradition treaty with a country, and they refuse to send him back...and we want him bad enough. Then we end our treaty and warn the country that all bets are off.

12/4/2007 12:09:38 PM

Quote :

"If we have no treaty with the country, then I think we can go get 'em."

what happens when the roles are reversed and they come into the US to get one of their criminals?....shit would hit the fan, that's what.

12/4/2007 12:50:24 PM