Letter: It’s never too late

When Barack Obama became president, I heard a brief discussion on a national radio program on whether George Bush and his advisors should be prosecuted for their war crimes. The idea was quickly dismissed because it would establish a dangerous precedent for the country — any new guy could dream up reasons for prosecuting his predecessor.

But there are a number of examples of former leaders who were brought to account in recent history. Alberto Fujimori of Peru, was tried and convicted of the crimes he committed while president.

Charles Taylor, president of Liberia, was also brought to account.

Idi Amin, butcher president of Uganda, only escaped his trial by fleeing the country.

Augusto Pinochet, the brutal dictator in Chile who came to power with the aid of our CIA, was finally arrested on the orders of a Spanish judge — too late — he was determined to be too old and incompetent to stand trial.

But our own George Bush falsified the reasons for our going to war in Iraq. It was a made-up war in which many Iraqis and Americans died. It was a war that was unjustified, and therefore is a legitimate basis for charging Bush, et al., with war crimes.

I say we should go for it.

Ruben Contreras

Palo Alto