Not everyone in South Africa is thrilled with the prospect of Obama’s upcoming visit.
In fact, the Johannesburg based Muslim Lawyers Association would like to see the president arrested and tried for war crimes when he arrives on June 29.
It submitted a 600-plus page document to the Office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions on Friday asking for an investigation into Obama’s involvement in the Middle East. Group spokesman Yousha Tayob said Obama ordered drone strikes that killed innocent civilians. In terms of the Rome Statute, South Africa has the right to prosecute a war criminal on its territory, said Tayob.
The National Prosecuting Authority spokesman said his office had received the docket and was studying it.
A recent report, entitled, “Living Under Drones: Death, Injury and Trauma to Civilians From US Drone Practices in Pakistan,” found that in four years Obama commissioned five times more drone attacks than George W Bush did during his two terms in the White House .
The spokesman from the US Embassy in South Africa had “no comment”.
The MLA press release about the “Obama Docket” is here.
According to the Washington Post, the trip could cost the government anywhere from $60 to $100 million dollars, which is a crime in and of itself.
Hat tip Weasel Zippers
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