U.S. Presses UN to Establish War Crimes Tribunal for Saddam Hussein

On September 18, 2000, the Clinton Administration pressed the United Nations to establish a war crimes tribunal to try Saddam Hussein and other Iraqi officials in the deaths of up to 250,000 civilians in Iraq, Iran, Kuwait and elsewhere. In a speech at the National Press Club, David Scheffer, U.S. ambassador at large for war crimes, explained that, because it could take at least two years to set up the proposed Permanent International Criminal Court, a special court is necessary to judge Iraqi President Saddam’s rule. As an alternative, Mr. Scheffer suggested that a commission of experts be appointed to judge Saddam and his associates. Still an additional alternative would be that courts in various countries may be able to investigate and indict Iraqi government leaders...[more]