Germany Wisely Won’t Prosecute Rumsfeld (Updated)

Common sense triumphed today when Germany announced it would not investigate allegations that Donald Rumsfeld committed war crimes. The NY-based Center for Constitutional Rights had filed a petition asking Germany to investigate on the theory that the U.S. authorities were incapable of investigating such claims due to a “continuing scheme of corruption”. This remarkable (and dare I say it, wild) claim was supported by an affidavit from respected NY lawyer Scott Horton. But, if accepted, it would have been tantamount to saying that, because Bush won the election and still controls the government, the U.S. is incapable investigating alleged war crimes by its own officials. Germany wisely rejected this claim.

If CCR believes there is a torture coverup, why haven’t they called on Congress to investigate or for the DOJ to investigate? Do they think that, for instance, Senators Richard Lugar and Joseph Biden, the leaders of the Foreign Relations Committee, are part of this “continuing scheme of corruption”?

UPDATE: CCR, not surprisingly, blasts this decision (in German) as politically motivated and vows to fight on.