APRIL 28 , 2007 – War Crimes

Please join BIAHC at the Bainbridge Public Library (1270 Madison Ave. N.) on Saturday, April 28, from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. for coffee, refreshments, a 30-minute video, and a Great Decisions community discussion on this timely issue.

Great Decisions is a nation-wide, non-partisan program of the Foreign Policy Association to broaden public involvement with the most important foreign policy issues facing the United States. For information, go to www.fpa.org

The April 28 topic is "War Crimes."
At the heart of the concept of war crimes is the idea that an individual can be held responsible for the actions of a country or that nation's soldiers. But this concept is a recent one; before World War II, it was generally accepted that the horrors of war were part of the nature of war.

During World War II, however, the murder of several million people - mainly Jews - by Nazi Germany, and the mistreatment of both civilians and prisoners of war by the Japanese, prompted the Allied powers to prosecute the people they believed to be the perpetrators of these crimes. And while there have since been war crimes tribunals established for specific conflicts, such as in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, international human rights groups have long called for a uniform and global legal system for dealing with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The 2003 creation of the International Criminal Court established a new venue for investigating and prosecuting war crimes, despite a lack of U.S. participation. Will the non-participation of the U.S. weaken the power of the ICC? What challenges are faced by the ICC in punishing war criminals?

The War Crimes discussion will be moderated by Bainbridge Islander Thomas Fischer, who is a visiting professor at the Seattle University School of Law. A former dean of New England School of Law, he served on its faculty from 1978-2003. In 2003, he retired as Professor Emeritus and came to Seattle University as Distinguished Academic in Residence. His teaching, research, and writing focus on Conflict of Laws, European Union Law, and Globalization.

Great Decisions Briefing Book:
To assist with advance preparation, please review the relevant chapter in the Great Decisions Briefing Book. Copies of the Briefing Book are available at the Bainbridge Public Library, or can be purchased from BIA The remaining discussions are scheduled to take place at the library on April 28, May 12, and May 26.

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Recommended Background Readings:


Great Decisions Spring 2007 Update: War Crimes. www.fpa.org

International Criminal Court Official Website. www.icc-cpi.int

What is a War Crime? BBC News. news.bbc.co.uk

Q&A: International Criminal Court. BBC News Website. news.bbc.co.uk

ICC Inquiries Jeopardized. Institute for War and Peace Reporting. Concerns have been raised about the safety of individual victims and witnesses of war crimes who work with the International Criminal Court (ICC). www.globalpolicy.org

U. S. State Department Office of War Crimes Issues. www.state.gov

International Criminal Court: Let the child live. The Economist. January 25, 2007. The world's first permanent war-crimes tribunal is proving more robust than expected; even sceptical America is softening its line. www.economist.com

The International Criminal Court indicted a key Sudanese official and a janjaweed leader. Christian Science Monitor. February 28, 2007. www.csmonitor.com

ICC claims further isolate Sudan. BBC News. February 27, 2007. news.bbc.co.uk

ICJ Bosnia Ruling Sets Important Precedents. Radio Free Europe. February 28, 2007. www.rferl.org

Crimes of War Project. www.crimesofwar.org

Congolese radio show gives war victims a voice. Christian Science Monitor, March 22, 2007. www.csmonitor.com

For more information, or to be added to the Great Decisions Email list, contact BIAHC at 206.842.7901 or admin@artshum.org.

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