Some in the United States and abroad say the legitimization of torture, the trampling of civil liberties, the violation of international law, and a dubious declaration of war that claimed more than 4,000 American and 100,000 Iraqi lives are not just miscalculations but crimes. War crimes, in fact. "The administration did more than commit crimes," argues Scott Horton, an expert on international law and contributing editor of Harper's magazine. "It waged war against the law itself." Can a country that has allowed the rule of law to be flouted continue as a credible democracy, setting an example to ordinary citizens and claiming the moral high ground in the international community? Says British international lawyer Philippe Sands: "At some point the dam will break, the wall of impunity will be breached, and someone will be investigated. Whether it's the lawyers or the ultimate decision-makers I don't know. But history teaches that these things don't go away."
Leave a comment...