Didn't we fight a war or two about this kind of thing?

[mdlbear]

...on the other side, that is...

US says it has right to kidnap British citizens - Times Online

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.

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.

(From this post by wcg.)

Comments

[phillip2637.livejournal.com]

I would have thought that "enlightened" self-interest would prevent a government from making a claim of that kind. (i.e. Imagine that the rest of the world decides that it's a really good idea.)

[mdlbear]

It would. You're assuming our current government is in any way enlightened.

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

We've already said publicly (passed into domestic law and negotiated as a considerable concession in many nations) that we're not going to allow the International Criminal Court to lay hands on a US servicemember.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Servicemembers'_Protection_Act

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_and_the_International_Criminal_Court

Empire, one step at a time. How stupid.

[hvideo.livejournal.com]

I think the first thing Great Britain should do is pass a law stating that not only is the rendition/kidnapping against British law, the person doing such an act is considered to have given up his (or her) rights to due process under the extradition treaty between the US and GB. The agents who performed the rendition would then be subject themselves to rendition by agents of GB, to be brought back and their asses thrown in jail for Kidnapping. Similarly, anyone who ISSUED THE ORDERS for the original rendition would likewise be subject to a rendition to GB under conspiracy statutes.

It would be intriguing if they also decided that those in the US Criminal Justice System (such as Judges, up to and including the Supreme Court members that heard the case) were likewise now subject to rendition and charges of Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping.

Sauce for the goose....

[mdlbear]

Works for me.