Rumsfeld threatened with war crimes charge if he visits Germany?

from Expatica.com:

Rumsfeld scraps Munich visit over war probe

21 January 2005

MUNICH - United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has cancelled a planned visit to Munich.

Rumsfeld has informed the German government via the US embassy he will not take part at the Munich Security Conference in February, conference head Horst Teltschik said.

The New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights filed a complaint in December with the Federal German Prosecutor's Office against Rumsfeld accusing him of war crimes and torture in connection with detainee abuses at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.

Rumsfeld had made it known immediately after the complaint was filed that he would not attend the Munich conference unless Germany quashed the legal action.

The organisation alleges violations of German legislation which outlaws war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide independent of the place of crime or origin of the accused.

The prosecutor's office in Karlsruhe reportedly is examining the roughly 170-page complaint to see if an investigation is warranted.

The Center for Constitutional Rights said it and four Iraqis tortured in US custody had filed a complaint with German authorities against Rumsfeld, former CIA director George Tenet and eight other senior military and civilian officials over abuses at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere in Iraq.

The organization said it had turned to German prosecutors "as a court of last resort" because the US government "is unwilling to open an independent investigation" and had "refused to join the International Criminal Court".

Several of those it wants investigated are stationed in Germany, it added.

Source article

Bonus link: Center for Constitutional Rights site, with details on the suit

New Orleans "Jazz Funeral for Democracy - Wake for Peace"

http://www.jazzfuneralfordemocracy.com

It was a great event. I was playing trombone with one of the bands. Here's a not too bad wire service account, with my comments in italics, with a few of my favorite pix from the event. Much more at the above link. -- Infrogmation

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — To the tunes of old church spirituals, a jazz funeral rolled through the streets of the French Quarter on Thursday with hundreds of protesters mourning what they call the passing of democracy: a second term for President Bush.

The protest was timed to kick off as Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist administered the oath of office to Bush in Washington. The New Orleans event had the appearance of a lugubrious Mardi Gras ball, a raucous street protest, Halloween freak show and traditional New Orleans jazz funeral rolled into one.
( Read more... )

Today's cooking question... pot saga continued

Okay, for making rice, making tomato sauces & stuff:

I see inexpernsive ceramic clad steel pots for sale.

Anyone use/used those? Rating?