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Will Putin get prosecuted for war crimes? That he targeted and killed hundreds of civilians and displaced tens of millions seems clear. What will happen if prosecuted? History shows that whatever label one puts on this invasion, Putin owns it. Many of these acts are criminal.
While war invariably involves killing, wounding, displacements, and ruined lives, a war crime is different. Aiming to eliminate an ethnic group, wipe out a nation, or take territory by targeting innocents is viewed as horrific and qualifies as a war crime.
Legally, a war crime involves a violation of the “laws of war,” a collection of treaties and conventions for protecting innocents, deterring cruelty, and holding criminally responsible those who promote or allow criminal brutality or genocide.
The so-called “laws of war,” which some might disparage, have a long history. Human recoil at civilian murders, torture, rape, gratuitous terrorizing, and dehumanizing led to these laws.
Customary international law, dating hundreds of years, was gradually codified, especially after WWI and WWII. The Nuremberg principles, Geneva Conventions, and other authorities created expectations and “universal jurisdiction” over war criminals, refining the Hague Conventions.
Neither soldiers nor heads of state can avoid liability for intentional acts that violate the “rules of law,” but facts must be proved. Violations of the Geneva Conventions include “directing attacks against civilians.” The idea of preventing massacres is prominent.
If all this sounds like how Putin behaved in Ukraine, initiating an unprovoked attack, targeting civilians, indefensible acts, another fact is important: Heads of state are hard to prosecute.
On the one hand, heads of state charged include the German and Japanese prime ministers after WWII. Similarly, for “crimes against humanity,” “genocide,” and other crimes, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic was charged, tried, acquitted, and died in custody in 2006.
Liberian President Charles Taylor, Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, Sudanese head of state Omar al-Bashir, and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were all charged. Taylor and Karadzic were convicted, al-Bashir remained incarcerated, and Gaddafi was killed before trial.
On the other hand, Putin presents unique issues. He is Russia’s leader, even if his actions are unconscionable. He is insulated by sovereignty arguments, may claim the death of non-combatants was not his aim, as collateral damage “while conducting an attack on a military objective” is not a war crime.
Strong responses would issue, but a military necessity “permits the destruction of life of…persons whose destruction is incidentally unavoidable by the armed conflicts of the war,” a big loophole.
On the other hand, “laws of war” do “not permit the killing of innocent inhabitants for purposes of revenge or the satisfaction of a lust to kill,” “destruction of property” not necessary, or “directing attacks against civilians.”
All this is highly unsatisfying since the egregious nature of Putin’s acts – human suffering, loss of life, the indifference of Putin toward what he has done – is a source of global outrage. Moreover, Putin continues the war – a highly destructive, inhumane, legally indefensible assault on citizens of Ukraine. The horrors continue as resistance builds and Western support grows.
Reality: Putin will never reclaim the legitimacy he had. He is now a de facto war criminal. Whether the acts were ordered by Putin, he bears responsibility – and odds are he ordered them.
The damage done to Russia’s standing in the world is not easily repaired, nor damage to the Russian economy and the lives of the Russian people resulting from his hellacious acts.
The beleaguered Russian people, predominantly Christian and predictably distressed, will suffer. They will suffer economically, spiritually, and in association with Putin. Perhaps 30,000 parents will suffer the loss of a child in uniform to Putin’s folly.
So, in the grand scheme, in the world’s eyes, and perhaps soon in the eyes of Russians, Putin’s war-making will be remembered as indefensible, inhumane, utterly unnecessary, and unconscionable.
Whether the legal regime and machinery are set in motion to prosecute him for “war crimes” remains to be seen. What is clear is that Putin’s depravity, indifference to life, disrespect for history, the devastation of Christian culture, and unthinkable carnage are hard to deny. Whatever the law says, the world has seen the, shuddered, and spoken. Putin’s acts are criminal.
But Putin is also engaging in a successful disinformation campaign in Russia some of which we see in comments to articles posted on this website.
Unless Putin’s competitors within the Russian government or military (if there are any left) or the highly unlikely scenario of the Russian people themselves turn Putin over, there will be no prosecution for his war crimes against Ukrainian civilians.
If Putin is prosecuted for war crimes,then Obama and Biden must also be.For enabling him.
For a different perspective on Ukraine not reported by the MSM, please consider watching this 38 minute video on Rumble entitled “Geopolitics – Interview with Lara Logan – The Truth About Ukraine.” It is very informative.
The reason why Mr. Putin is the way he is acting Obama fall in love with Mr. Putin right now we have to remember that Obama is his 3rd term in office nothing less nothing more
Putin is a despicable despot, and the sooner he exits the global stage, the better. He’ll never go voluntarily, though. If he gets any closer to launching nuclear capabilities or if this war of atrocities drags on, I hope someone near him and his loyal commanders will put a stop–a final stop–to his aggression. That way, Russia has a chance of rejoining the civilized world. If he does not back down and continues flexing his muscle, the citizens, unfortunately, will pay a heavy price when free countries band together and boycott everything Russian.
I’d rather see this scenario play out than for almost the entire rest of the world to always wonder “Where next?” I heard he might make a move on Moldova. I feel sorry for the Russian citizens who just want to get on with life, and maybe find a way to make it better while they breathe.
It is interesting that Mr Charles references the Laws of War and Nuremberg after WWII. And Geneva Convention. Mr. Charles evidently does not realize that millions of US citizens and millions more citizens of the world KNOW what is really going on in the Ukraine. Mr. Charles is good at pushing his/their agenda; but interestingly, he isn’t relaying very much truth or facts. His agenda is propaganda and deflection. Which amounts to news cycle headlines that push lies to their readers etc, and hides the truth. Well here are a few truths: Ukraine 2014 had a coup.
Called the Maidan Revolution. Thanks to the backing of many three letter agencies and the president at that time. The coup was successful.
One of the first things done was the building of bio labs. Many, many bio labs. (suggest you research Metabiota Inc. a Rosa Seneca company.) You dig a little more, and who pops up, but Anthony Fauci and “gain of function”. You understand why there might be some deflection.
Another truth, there are over 10,000 km tunnel systems in Ukraine. Connecting to many different places.
Through which drug, contraband and human smuggling occurs using narrow gauge rail system and other vehicle means. Another truth, Ukraine has the largest satanic worshiping population in that area of the world. Another truth, Ukraine Also has a large Nazi population. The Azov battalions actually control the military. Backed by US and NATO dollars and weaponry. Another truth, the Azov battalions, are the ones murdering their own fellow citizens. They have been killing Christians and Jews for years. They consider themselves The Forth Reich. The last truth for now: Pelosi, Kerry, Romney and Biden all have family members, who are corporate Board members of different energy companies in the Ukraine. The Biden and Kerry families both had villas in Ukraine. Until, Russian military destroyed them. Russia also destroyed many many biolabs, they have and are liberating countless numbers of children and adults from human trafficking and slavery. The laws of war, Nuremberg Code and Geneva Convention he mentions will be used in the near future. But not on who he thinks. Research people.
The truth is out there.
Pootin’ is cloaking himself as GOD much in the same posture as Adolf Hitler. European Nations were unable to stop Hitler after he was patronized and aloud to overrun a few countries (Italy’s Mussolini joining in with Hitler to get a piece of the conquest pie.) But the top DOG in Communism tends to have to act that way or internal members of the Party will take him out. Russia believes their territorial on vast supplies of oil from the Northern sector of Russian homeland can give them an extra hold on the rest of the world. But they have diotically ignored the nuclear power now available to many Nations that can and will be used if they continue to be the World’s scoundrel Nation. And I reiterate …… the World’s powers should have jumped in forcefully when Putin overran Crimea. Not doing so, allowed Putin to take a crack at Ukraine.
Putin TARGETED civilians? Any proof of this inane statement? I stopped reading this propaganda piece after the first paragraph.
… by a significant margin, Joe Biden goes down in history, as the drop-dead stupidest president in U.S. history. Joe Biden wanted a proxy war with Russia, because he thought it would make him popular. Thousand die because, Biden wants to be popular. Triggered by the Biden administration, threatening NATO inclusion to bait Putin into war with Ukraine, while simultaneously cutting off America’s domestic oil production, Biden’s handlers put Germany in an awful predicament, allowing Russia to dictate terms, to the EU. Putin now enjoys sufficient leverage to fracture, destabilize the European Union. And, NATO.
it is the winner of the war who decides what a war crime is!
of course they are criminal but biden isn’t goign o do anything. He likes all the Ukrainians being murdered because is distracts americans from the disaster Biden and the democrats are.
After the last two years of the democrats dictatorships, illegal acts, illegal mandates, lies and corruption anyone still thinking about voting democrat is a fool.
I wonder if this is one of those web sites defense-intelligence uses to smoke out conservatives?
Looks like Mr.Charles, writing for AMAC is a mental victim of the deep state. He mentions “Putins” egregious acts, ignoring both the fact of Putin being only a portion of Russia governance but also not even thinking of a little document called “The Minsk Agreement”. He speaks of ethnic cleansing when it was the violation of the Minsk Agreement that led to 13-15000 deaths at the hands of Ukraine in attacks on the population of the eastern provinces of Ukraine who had voted for independence from the corruptocracy that is Ukraine. Recall also that an elected leader of one of the eastern provinces called on the Russian government for assistance when Ukraine launched a large scale attack against his people back in late January/early February. Putin came in after a year of trying to get the “west” to take action, ringed Kiev which diverted the Ukraine military away from the east. The east is now about to fall to Russia of course along with the best of the Ukraine military…..all uniquely trained by US/NATO special forces.
Mr. Charles has jumped on the narratives red meat wagon and is going for the full ride. I wonder how he will title his post Russian victory article? Will he jump to whatever the deep state narrative changes to or will he……..forget it, he will jump on whatever the new deep state narrative is once again. What a disgrace from an organization I used to hold in esteem. AMAC is now nothing more than a Nuland mouthpiece.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is good men do nothing.
Pot calling the kettle black. The last 70 years, United States defense-intelligence tallied up a sorry laundry list of its war crimes well beyond that which the Russians demerit. Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, face facts, we’re worse than they are.
Isn’t this what the left wants Americans to do? Focus on external problems like Putin? We need to focus on America’s internal problems like a mentally incompetent president and speaker of the house. A satanically evil vice-president, and a congress where half are Marxists and the other half sits on their hands and does nothing about any of it. We don’t need any outside help to destroy ourselves.
Putins acts are NOT criminal. Criminal behavior can be determined and dealt with in a court of law.
There is no court that can force a country’s leader to be “nice”.
The only thing that can be done about dictators such as Putin is to confront them with military force.
To describe Putin, or any other dictator as being a criminal is to misunderstand reality. The ruthlessness of dictators could be described as being crimes against humanity, but again, so what?
There is no court that is able to address such acts.
So are the acts of our highest government officials at the moment. Let’s deal with them, too.
Biden is also to blame. He was in on stealing the 2020 election.
Sorry, Zelensky is much more dangerous than Putin. NATO has broken their agreements with Russia. Our assets nor do we belong in the war that Biden is trying to start WWIII.
Biden ineffectiveness is the reason Putin is going crazy . Under Trump as President he was VERY QUIET because he knew he would have hell to pay under TRUMP if he was to get aggressive..He knew Biden and his appointees were VERY WEAK and would not act so he invaded..This is what you get when electing Democrats and a Senile old man into White House who in turn puts useless,weak men,woman,and others into key positions and get nothing done or make things worse..We are living in downfall of the United States of America
Zelensky ….sucks
Make no mistake, Putin is a war criminal. Why we haven’t put the Drone cross hairs on him already is beyond me. I guess with the compromised Biden in office, nothing will get down. Putin should be put down now before he kills more innocent people.
Once again, a conservative based story getting on the same Biden/Harris band wagon but for presumably an entirely different reason where Russia/Ukraine are concerned…?
It is long overdue for the movie actor Zalensky to be held accountable for all of his backroom illicit deals.
He sold out his people long before now IMHO…
Potentially we are on the brink of another world war with crooked actors around the globe itching to go after Putin, why is this folks?
Make no mistake, with the current administration in DC hellbent on REIMAGING America, a WIDE OPEN southern border at (16 ) months & counting…
CRT being taught all across this nation in real time…
Doctors being fired for speaking out against the vaccines.
Mandatory masks & vaccines by these hypocrites, i.e. Biden/Harris, CDC & the NIH, not forgetting our politicized DOJ, all the way to SCOTUS…
I don’t believe Putin is the monster he’s being made out to be, especially for a man with an 83% approval rating by his own people…Does America have a president with those job approval numbers? I think not RBC…
Currently this administration is stroking the mad dog…They got their ” Wag The Dog ” situation with respect to Russia/Ukraine whilst America remains WIDE OPEN at her southern border with illegal immigrants from around the globe pouring in, an administration that is actively welcoming them with open arms, giving them cell phones for updates, debit cards to feed their families, bussing & flying them to their DESIRED destinations around this nation…We The People are paying for this!
Putin’s acts are criminal?
The Biden/Harris 2020 fraudulent presidential installation was criminal by both domestic & foreign players involved in Election Interference, it was criminal for the entire/majority of our established form of government to allow the 2020 Presidential Election outcome to be compromised in such an egregious manner, so with respect to the title of this article, the real CRIMINAL ACTS committed are much closer to home, a good starting point would be the current residents of the White House…
Anything that comes out of this WH, assume the exact opposite, that will lead you closer to the truth.
I mostly ignore the MSM/WH narrative on Russia/Ukraine, same goes for the many nations getting suckered into lose, lose situations by primarily the Biden administration with help from MSM & Big Tech…
Bill… :~)
When I think back to Hillary Clinton okaying allowing Russian to access the prime source of Uranium, it sends chills up my spine to think of DemocRats in control of any level of governance.
So are the elites that wants Ukraine for money laundering , wake up!
Praying for justice…
It’s been reported by the Ukrainian people that Ukraine forces have attacked their own people.