Ferencz discusses war crimes and Sadam Hussein

A BBC Production, aired March, 1991. Includes segments of interview with Benjamin Ferencz, among others. Program asks whether or not Sadam Hussein should be brought to justice. Ferencz speaks about enforcing the principles founded at the Nuremberg trials, including laws that define 1) planning and waging a war of aggression; 2) war crimes; and 3) crimes against humanity. In Sadam Hussein's case, these standards were violated and are going unpunished. He says that we cannot walk away from the horrors of Sadam, or else we will encourage more strife: "We should get serious about this!" Because the world too often does nothing, international structure weakens. Another participant, a British prosecutor at Nuremberg, claims that this is the "last chance" to set up an international criminal court. If not established, he says we can "say goodbye to waging war as an international crime." Ferencz asserts that the ramifications of political expediency threaten any sense of justice. In closing, he proclaims that by ignoring criminality we are encouraging criminality. The next step to outlaw war, then, is an international court of criminal jurisdiction. Ferencz quote at beginning of program: "Should he be tried? That's like asking should any murderer be tried, or should any rapist be tried, or should any arsonist be tried. Of course he should be tried, if you believe in law and order."