War Crimes Tribunal for Merchants of Death releases its final report
Date
1/14/2025 7:34:24 AM
(MENAFN) On January 15, 2025, just days before the inauguration of a U.S. president promising further devastation, the War Crimes Tribunal for the Merchants of Death will release its final report, holding major defense companies—Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, and General Atomics—accountable for their roles in fueling global violence since September 11, 2001. The tribunal’s thirty-five episodes lay out the evidence showing how these corporations have been critical enablers of the U.S. military's ongoing colonial campaigns, including the devastating escalation of violence against Palestinians. These campaigns, marked by murder, exploitation, and theft, have been heavily reliant on the weapons manufactured by these companies.
The report traces these actions back to decisions made by U.S. presidents Harry Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower, American businessmen, and Congress to assert global dominance in the wake of World War II, capitalizing on the power vacuums left by war-torn European nations. These decisions were grounded in deeply ingrained racial, cultural, and economic ideologies tied to slavery and genocide, setting the stage for the violence that continues today. For the military-industrial complex, supporting liberation movements means diminishing profits. Thus, decolonization has been painted as a communist threat that justifies military repression, torture, and terrorism. The tribunal details how the American public has been manipulated into supporting this system, which has financially benefitted the wealthy elite while causing economic, intellectual, and spiritual harm to everyday Americans.
Post-World War II, arms manufacturers saw increased Congressional support, with military stocks becoming integral to public and private investment portfolios. This reliance on war profiteering became visible in 2024 when students at Smith College, in support of Palestinian freedom, demanded the withdrawal of investments from arms manufacturers. Their protests were met with suppression, showing the deep connections between educational institutions, the military-industrial complex, and the profiteering from global conflict. Now, companies like Lockheed Martin, led by CEO James Tykelett, whose weapons have contributed to the slaughter of Palestinians, find themselves entwined in civilian sectors, such as healthcare, further entrenching the links between war profiteering and everyday life. In response, the tribunal’s panel of international experts is calling for thirteen specific actions, including the prosecution of CEOs from these defense companies for their role in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide since 2001. The tribunal also advocates for the cessation of private and public investments in arms production and reparations for the victims of these actions.
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