In the aftermath of World War II and the Nuremberg and Tokyo Tribunals the need for a permanent international court was clear. And yet the atrocities of Rwanda, Yugoslavia and Darfur, Sudan would come to pass and the phrase "never again" would remain but a phrase. But finally the International Criminal Court became a reality in 2002. Today there are 108 member states with conspicuous exceptions being Russia, China, India and the United States. President Bill Clinton did sign the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC but his successor George W. Bush withdrew the U.S. signature. Now the Court has issued a warrant for the arrest of Sudanese President, Omar al Bashir for war crimes. Today we talk with Erna Paris, award-winning journalist and author of The Sun Climbs Slow; The International Criminal Court and the Struggle for Justice. |