Bush, Blair should face war crimes charges, Nobel recipient says News
Bush, Blair should face war crimes charges, Nobel recipient says

[JURIST] British playwright Harold Pinter [official website], winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize for Literature [official website], has called for war crimes charges against US President Bush [official profile] and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair [official profile] in an acceptance speech to be shown Saturday at the award ceremony in Stockholm. Pinter, a longtime critic of the Iraq war [Pinter materials], characterized it as "contempt for the concept of international law" and said Blair should be brought before the International Criminal Court [official website] for war crimes. Pinter, who was recently admitted to a hospital and will not be present Saturday, recorded the speech, in which he slams US and UK policies [BBC News report] in the Middle East. Pinter also criticized the US for supporting right-wing military governments in Greece, Guatemala and Chile among others, and he called the UK a "bleating little lamb" following the US. The Guardian has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.