From: stephen@sprunk.org   
      
   On 09-Dec-15 15:59, Adam H. Kerman wrote:   
   > Despite what the Geneva Convetions state, there's no practical   
   > recognition of war crimes. There isn't a dictator on the planet who   
   > maintains power without committing human rights violations, some of   
   > which probably do rise to the level of war crimes when committed   
   > during a civil war. Yet they maintain foreign trade and foreign   
   > relations and have little trouble buying arms on the open market.   
      
   Going after a sitting head of state--or anyone else with diplomatic   
   immunity--would be an act of war, and you can see how well that worked   
   out in the case of Saddam Hussein, for us and for the Iraqi people.   
      
   OTOH, if/when they are deposed, however, they lose diplomatic immunity   
   and we will happily prosecute--and execute--them.   
      
   > Lots of times, when foreign nations want them gone, they let them   
   > keep the money they've stolen and don't prosecute for war crimes,   
   > simply because we're trying to delay the start of the inevitable   
   > civil war.   
      
   That doesn't stop _others_ from prosecuting them for war crimes, which   
   is why they invariably run straight to a non-extradition country.   
      
   S   
      
   --   
   Stephen Sprunk         "God does not play dice."  --Albert Einstein   
   CCIE #3723         "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the   
   K5SSS        dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking   
      
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