How America Gets Away with Murder: Illegal Wars, Collateral Damage and Crimes Against Humanity
By Michael Mandel
For example, although Milosevic wound up on trial at The Hague, other attempts at war crimes prosecutions -- notably Pinochet and Sharon -- face insurmountable obstacles. Despite the hopes raised about "an end to impunity", the United States is currently exempting itself entirely from the jurisdiction of the new International Criminal Court.
This new book by renowned scholar Michael Mandel offers the first truly critical account of the war crimes movement. Mandel argues that this movement is not actually about ending war crimes, or impunity for war crimes, but about selectively punishing "the usual suspects" as part of the imperial strategy of the great powers -- primarily the United States.
Examining issues chapter-by-chapter, Mandel explores the moral and legal debates over the recent wars in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, supposed exercises in "humanitarian intervention" and "self-defence." He analyses the role the war crimes movement has played in these wars, variously promoting them or not stopping them, despite their immorality and illegality.
Mandel takes a hard look at the development of the International Criminal Court and its likely destiny. He gives special attention to recent tribunals -- like the one trying Milosevic -- and the way they have been used to prosecute America's enemies. He shows how these tribunals shield America and its allies from responsibility for what is termed "collateral damage," but what is in reality murder on a vast scale.
CONTENTS:
PART I: ILLEGAL WARS - COLLATERAL DAMAGE
Chapter 1: Iraq 2003
Chapter 2: Afghanistan 2001
Chapter 3: Kosovo 1999
PART II: CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
Chapter 4: The War Crimes Tribunal
Chapter 5: The Trial of Milosevic
Chapter 6: America Gets Away with Murder
Chapter 7: Rounding up the Usual Suspects while America Gets Away with Murder
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------