Thursday, March 13, 2008

Dear Mr. Miklaszewski

Dear Mr. Miklaszewski,

Could you explain why you use euphemisms to cover-up what is in fact a war crime? You write, "As always, the U.S. would never take the "military option" off the table in case conditions should change and Iran posed a threat to the U.S. or its allies in the region."

Threatening to attack Iran is against international law and attacking them is a war crime. Is it NBC's position that violating international law and carrying out war crimes is so trivial and expected that it should not even be reported? War crimes are simply "options" that a country may decide to do? You think a country has the right to decide that another country is "a threat" and then launch an attack on it? Or is this a right you grant to only certain countries? Violating international law is serious, your reporting does not reflect that fact. Your reporting makes a mockery of our Constitution and the rule of law. Your article assumes violating international law is a non-issue.

"The United Nations Charter is a treaty of the United States, and as such forms part of the "supreme law of the land" under the Constitution, Article VI, Clause 2. The UN Charter is the highest treaty in the world, superseding states’ conflicting obligations under any other international agreement. (Art. 103, UN Charter)

Under the UN Charter, there are only two circumstances in which the use of force is permissible: in collective or individual self-defense against an actual or imminent armed attack; and when the Security Council has directed or authorized use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security. Neither of those circumstances now exist. Absent one of them, U.S. use of force against Iran is unlawful." (text used from http://www.wslfweb.org/docs/Iraqstatemt.htm about a very similar situation with Iraq)

Sincerely,
Tom Murphy

Above is a message to Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News Chief Pentagon Correspondent
see video NBC Makes Mockery of US Constitution & Rule of Law

No comments: