Charity wants to bring US to task over war crime

A CHILDREN’S charity will today ask for the go-ahead to try to bring the US government to court in Britain for an alleged war crime in Iraq.

Child Victims of War (CVW), represented by Derry solicitor Des Doherty, will apply for a judicial review of a refusal by the former attorney general Goldsmith to allow a private prosecution of US authorities for the killing of 13 civilians in a US air strike in Fallujah in April 2004. The application will be heard in the High Court in London.

CVW asked Mr Goldsmith in May 2006 to consent to proceedings against senior US officials, including then defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The charity argued that, under the terms of Security Council resolution 1483, authorising the occupation of Iraq, the UK was jointly liable with the US for acts committed in the course of the occupation.

The group submitted a statement from a witness to the air strike, Sabah Mutar Aabed Al-Ani, who claimed that five members of his family were among the victims.

Mr Goldsmith responded in August 2006, denying the application.

In July last year, the London High Court rejected an appeal against the refusal. CVW will today be seeking an oral hearing of its appeal.