Relatives of victims of the Iraq war are to file a legal action alleging war crimes against the commander of coalition forces in the country.
The plaintiffs, mostly Iraqis, will file the action against US General Tommy Franks tomorrow under a disputed Belgian "universal competence" law.
The plaintiffs include Ms Dima Tahboub, the widow of a Jordanian correspondent for satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera, Mr Tarek Ayoub, who was killed in April during a US bombing.
The suit will relate to about 20 alleged crimes during the Iraq war, including three cases where US troops are accused of firing on ambulances.
The "universal competence" law, in force since 1993, allows Belgian courts to rule on alleged crimes under international law, regardless of where they were committed or the nationality of those accused of the victims.
The impending lawsuit has already sparked alarm in the US government, which remains concerned about the controversial law despite recent moves by the Belgian parliament to limit its scope.
AFP