New York Times (October 9)
“The International Criminal Court will examine the destruction of religious sites as a war crime” for the very first time. The particular case involves the destruction of religious sites in Timbuktu, but will carry greater implications. “The case against Mr. Mahdi in the International Criminal Court strengthens hope that members of the Islamic State will, one day, also face justice for their cultural and religious crimes.”
Tags: Cultural crimes, Destruction, ICC, International Criminal Court, Islamic State, Mahdi, Religious sites, Timbuktu, War Crime
Wall Street Journal (June 3)
An opinion piece declares the sinking of the South Korean naval warship Cheonan qualifies as a war crime and should be prosecuted. “Kim may have exposed himself for the first time to international justice” and deserves to be tried by the International Criminal Court. In 1953, North Korea signed an armistice promising to cease hostilities with South Korea. Since the North did not first warn the South that it would break the peace agreement, the deadly torpedo strike against the Cheonan qualifies as treacherous act meeting the war crime definition.
Tags: Cheonan, Kim Jong Il, North Korea, South Korea, War Crime
