International Justice and Impunity: The Case of the United States

This collection of 27 essays is the result of a conference--organized by the Association for the Defense of International Humanitarian Law, France, and the International Federation of Human Rights--that brought together human rights activists, historians, lawyers, and representatives of non-governmental organizations from the United States, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East to address the fact that while the United States is a leading perpetrator of war crimes, its economic, political, and military power essentially provides it with impunity from suffering any consequences in accordance international law. Essays document US responsibility for violations of international humanitarian law from the atomic bombing of Japan through the invasion of Iraq, discuss the nature of humanitarian law in relation to US power, and examine efforts by non-governmental organizations and other actors to seek accountability for the US government and to reform international law such that the US is no longer immune from its strictures. This volume was first published in 2007 as Justice internationale et impunite, le cas de Etats-Unis. Annotation c2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)