More than 4,000 people have so far signed an online petition on the White House website, demanding the prosecution of US President Barack Obama for committing war crimes.
“We demand conviction of a war criminal Barack Obama and trial in the International Criminal Court in [The] Hague. He is guilty of crimes not only against the USA citizens, but against the whole world,” the petition reads.
The president’s failure to deliver on his 2008 campaign promise of closing down the notorious military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is cited in the petition as another reason for holding Obama accountable.
Described in the petition as “one of the most dreadful prisons in history,” Guantanamo was established by former President George W. Bush’s administration in 2002 as a prison for alleged foreign terrorism suspects following the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Obama had promised to close the Guantanamo Bay prison in his 2008 election campaign, saying it is damaging America’s reputation abroad. However, he has so far failed to deliver on that pledge due to stiff opposition from Congress.