Speaking on 8th of May to National Public Radio U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark Ramsay had the following to say:
“We have absolutely irrefutable evidence that he [Gaddhafi] used likely mortar fire to drop cluster munitions on his own people for the express purpose of killing and injuring them.”
Maj. Gen. Mark F. Ramsay is the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and Intelligence, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, NATO, Casteau, Belgium.
This is a long way from Robert Gates’ earlier position on this issue, not to mention Hillary Clinton’s initial reaction (about which more later).
The claim here goes beyond saying Gaddhafi used cluster bombs “likely from mortar fire” to saying this was for the “express purpose” of killing and injuring his own people. Maj. Gen. Ramsay is suggesting NATO have a communications intercept – and one in which Gaddafi (or perhaps his officers) expressly order the use of cluster munitions to kill and injure his own people.
Why has this information not been released? Has this information been shared with the ICC and Louis Moreno Ocampo? How will this be assessed by the ICC?
Will the USA give evidence to the ICC regarding Misrata and how will this be squared with the use, stockpiling and transfer by the USA of millions of cluster bombs and of the use of about 1.2 million cluster bomblets by Israel?
HRI demands the immediate release of the absolutely irrefutable evidence mentioned by U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark Ramsay.