War crime trial for Qaddafi

The Obama administration and its allies have begun quietly seeking a new country to host Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi. The plan is to give the hopefully soon-to-be ex-president a new place to live after he leaves or is ousted.

What about the Netherlands? Specifically, a nice little cell in The Hague?

The search is being conducted in countries that did not sign the treaty requiring them to turn over criminals to the court as an incentive for the Libyan dictator to give up and leave.

The African Union is quietly probing countries on the
continent, though it hasn’t publicized any names.

There are three big problems with this scheme — besides the fact that Qaddafi says he has no intention of leaving.

Qaddafi is a war criminal. He doesn’t deserve a cushy little palace in another country; he deserves a cell while he awaits trial in international court.

Reports say that not only would The Hague try him for crimes against his people, but he would also be indicted for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 in Scotland.

The practice of buying off dictators in the hopes that a few million dollars and a house in a country that flies under the radar will get them out of everyone’s hair needs to end. These men have done illegal and horrible things, and they need to be punished, not rewarded. Though it is important to save as many lives as possible — and if a dictator leaves, stopping a war, many lives are saved — people shouldn’t get away free.

The second problem is that setting him up and leaving him alone is a recipe for disaster.

This is a guy who doesn’t want to leave. Giving him a bunch of cash that he can use to return home — and putting him in Africa, the same continent as his beleaguered country — just gives him the means to make a return as soon as the crisis starts to settle.

The third problem is the burden on the host country.

While many countries, notably in South America, have been willing to host previous dictators, it isn’t a burden they should be asked to take.

The United States did not sign the treaty; technically, we are as eligible for being host to an ex-dictator without extradition by the courts. But it is doubtful that any Americans would want him on our soil. Why, then, should another country be asked to bear a burden we will not?

The whole situation is a mess, but one thing is clear: Qaddafi is not a nice man.
To be specific, he is a mass murderer.

The rest of the world has a duty as human beings to protect the Libyan people and bring Qaddafi to justice.

If we were in the same position, we would want the world to help us.

Qaddafi shouldn’t be rewarded for his crimes with more money than most Americans will ever see in their lifetimes.

The Hague doesn’t execute criminals.

But it can put Qaddafi away for so many lifetimes, he’ll never again see the light of day — and never again be able to harm another person.

­— hanns@indiana.edu