A victory for justice

Today, for the first time since the Nuremberg trials, an international tribunal has been found guilty of war crimes.

The former president of Liberia Charles Taylor was convicted by a United Nations-backed tribunal in the Hague. For the people of Sierra Leone - against whom Taylor has been found guilty of aiding and abetting crimes such as murder, rape, sexual slavery and enforced amputation - this represents a victory for justice and a recognition from the international community that said crimes are unacceptable and will not go unpunished.

What it also shows is that guilt in such atrocities does not have an expiry date which is encouraging for those still seeking justice from other offenders such as Omar al-Bashir in Sudan.

This is not unproblematic: where does the capacity of the international stage to intervene end? Can it move to indict Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier in Haiti for example? Or Bashar al-Assad in Syria?

Let's hope this is only the beginning of a series of judgements against heads f state who up till now have considered themselves untenable. We need this to show the current and future despots that their tyranny will not be accepted and will not be without consequence.

Nothing will be normal in Syria until Bashar al-Assad steps down

The Syrian authorities are currently trying to distract observers by diverting attention to US involvement, accusing them, almost laughably, of 'seeking to rekindle violence'. The intentions of the US should not be the focus of people's attention at the moment. That should be reserved entirely for the appalling way Syrian authorities have continuously slaughtered their own people, including many children, for the last 9 months.

It is time for Bashar al-Assad to realise that he and his regime have already lost. The violence against his own people has been too extensive, the repression too brutal, and the reaction from opposition too determined for him to ever feel or appear to be the legitimate leader of Syria again.

Attempts to divert attention to the US won't make a jot of difference.