October 23, 2013 12:17 AM
By Rami G. Khouri
The Daily Star
STORY SUMMARY
In a fascinating juxtaposition, two news stories this week affirmed all that is right and wrong in the system of American justice as it pertains to the killing of civilians around the world.
One story reported the results of an academic study which concluded that nearly half a million people died in Iraq due to war-related causes in the eight years following the U.S.-led invasion of that country in 2003 . Another story reported that the U.S. Justice Department has brought new charges against four former security guards from the private American Blackwater company who are accused of taking part in a shooting in Baghdad six years ago that killed 14 unarmed civilians and wounded 18 other people.
The study was conducted by scholars from the University of Washington, Johns Hopkins University, Simon Fraser University and Mustansiriya University in Iraq.
So how should we view an American system of justice and political power that indicts four individuals from a private company for killing and injuring 32 defenseless Iraqi civilians, but totally refuses to hold accountable those officials in the federal government whose decision to attack Iraq resulted in nearly half a million deaths?
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)
Categories: Americas, United Nations, United States