Why all war criminals are black and African

The LA Times wrestles with this question today. Unfortunately they're a little circumspect with their answers.

There are plenty of folks who'd like to see the Bush gang face war crime charges for what they've wrought in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past ten years or so. Rumsfeld, Cheney, maybe even W himself.

But guess what!? The US doesn't recognize the International Criminal Court! Besides, these guys are white Americans.

There are plenty of folks in the occupied territories and Gaza who'd like to see a number of IDF brass and senior Israeli politicians charged with war crimes. Guess what? Israel doesn't recognize the ICC either! Besides, those guys are white Israelis.

Ditto Putin in Chechnya or Blair and Cameron over Iraq and Afghanistan. There are certainly people willing to make the case that these leaders should be held accountable.

But they won't be.

There are three conditions that have to be met before the ICC will pursue a case.

The war criminal is never a war criminal until he is on the losing side.

The war criminal needs to have lost the support of his sponsors in the so-called developed world.

And finally, the war criminal needs to be expendable. We in the enlightened West can countenance the most egregious human rights violations so long as the perpetrators are seen to be furthering our interests. Failing that, they're toast.

And that pretty much leaves the black Africans.