International inquisition

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The worst criminals masquerade as champions of justice, their crimes committed under a deceptive banner of legitimacy. The most bloodthirsty episodes in history have all claimed a moral justification of one kind or another. No tyrant has ever admitted that his actions were motivated by ambition while those who commit massacres routinely say they were simply following orders.

In the 16th century the Spanish Inquisition burned thousands upon thousands at the stake for alleged heresy. Genghiz Khan believed that his actions were justified because it was the destiny of the Mongols to rule the world. Zionist gangs believe that their murder of thousands of women, children, and old people are simply a means to an end, while George Bush, whose actions have caused the death and displacement of millions of people, continues to believe that he is on a divine mission to fight the "axis of evil".

The US president seems intent on turning Sudan into a scapegoat to divert attention from his own crimes. The International Criminal Court prosecutor-general wants to arrest Sudanese officials, including President Omar Al-Bashir, for involvement in war crimes. But reading the charges made by Luis Moreno- Ocampo one might think that the ICC prosecutor-general is talking about George Bush, not Al-Bashir. The atrocities committed in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and Afghanistan should have prompted the UN Security Council to serve an arrest warrant on George Bush, not Sudanese officials.

Al-Bashir's greatest crime is that he wants to keep his country united. He has stood firm against US schemes to divide Sudan and control its wealth. Like many other Arab and non-Arab regimes the Sudanese government has its failings. But we cannot let ourselves be deceived by the accusations against Sudan, however true they may ring. The partitioning of Sudan would be much worse than the disintegration of Iraq.

The collapse of Sudan would have catastrophic implications for Egypt, which depends on the Nile for survival. Should Sudan fall apart, as Somalia once did, Al-Qaeda will gain an easy foothold and interminable wars would begin on Egypt's southern borders. Egypt cannot allow this to happen, regardless of the pressures and blackmail it will face. We are not deceived by the international mantle that the ICC has just imparted to decisions made in the White House and the Pentagon. Like many other international organisations the ICC has become a tool of US foreign policy.

International organisations have been taking their cue from Washington for some time. Despite the criminal record of the US, a record that runs from Hiroshima and Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, we have yet to see any international organisation take action against the US or its nationals. If someone wants to work for the Americans, that's fine. But before the International Criminal Court does that it should perhaps consider a change of name.