Followup: Send Lawyers, Guns and Feith

Back in November and December of last year, ASZ blogged extensively about a war crimes complaint filed in the German courts by the Center for Consitutional Rights against Rumsfeld, et.ux. (here, here, and here). In response, the U.S. threatened to pull Doddering Donnie out of a conference that was scheduled to be held there next month unless the complaint was dismissed. The subtext of the whole diplomatic dustup is that it would be bad form for the Germans to arrest or detain Rumsfeld while on German soil.

Well, good morning and bravo! The German government didn't back down, and now Rumsfeld has backed out of the conference, citing "prior commitments". Instead, he's sending DOD's number 3 man, Doug Feith. Why not his second, Steve Cambone? Easy. Cambone's name is on the CCR complaint as well.

More background on Rummy's' withdrawl can be found at Deutsche Welle.

And in the words of Steve Soto at Left Coaster:

You know we have sunk a long way when we have to get lessons on war crimes, international law, and accountability from the Germans.

Update, 1/23/05, 10:30AM - EuroSavant provides an excellent writeup on Rumsfeld backing out of this conference, and gives a great explanation for why Rumsfeld's "prior commitments" excuse is so much bullshit.

When is the American media going to pick up this story?