What makes it so hard to capture war criminals?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges of capturing and prosecuting war criminals, particularly in the context of human rights violations. Participants explore the effectiveness of international governance and the role of institutions like the UN in addressing these issues.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the commitment of international governance to human rights, suggesting that the slow pace of justice for war crimes indicates a lack of priority.
  • Others argue that the UN is ineffective and corrupt, implying that this dysfunction hinders justice for victims of war crimes.
  • A participant highlights the complexity of proving war crimes, noting that the context often complicates the situation beyond simple binaries.
  • There is mention of historical precedents, such as the Nuremberg trials, suggesting that capturing war criminals is not always neglected when diplomatic and military access is available.
  • One participant points out that criminals actively evade capture, complicating efforts to bring them to justice.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views regarding the effectiveness of international governance and the UN in prosecuting war criminals, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the varying definitions of war crimes, the complexities involved in proving them, and the differing perspectives on the role of international institutions.

xecute
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We say human rights are at the top of our agenda, yet, war crimes have occurred and are often put to halt at a very slow pace. Why is this the case? Doesn't this show that international governace just isn't doing it or is it really tehre faultl
 
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It is not on our agenda.
 
Has Bush ever actually said "Human rights are on the top of my agenda"? That'd be a shock if he had...
 
Let me rephrase. War crimes are infringing on human rights, why can't we ever get justice for the victims
 
I don't think justice is a high priority in our current government. The UN doesn't do a thing about it because they're a corrupt and highly dysfunctional. Justice only matters if you get press I guess...
 
xecute, do you have something specific in mind ? What war crimes are you talking about ?

The Nuremberg trial, for instance, happened almost immediately after the war ended - in fact, I'd say the Allies rushed it, instead of taking the time to get things right.

War crimes are very tricky to prove and while the excuse of "following orders" is not enough, it's often not a black or white situation.

Now your thread title asks about 'capturing' war criminals, and I don't see that this gets neglected, if there's diplomatic and military access.
 
xecute said:
Let me rephrase. War crimes are infringing on human rights, why can't we ever get justice for the victims
Criminals don't like being caught and don't make it easy for us.
 
well, let's just say.. milosevic

why did it take so long?
we have a bunch of courts, why can't we prosecute them
 

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