Saturday, June 30, 2007

Rule of Law Must Trump Realism

One small crisis in Iraq highlights the incompatability of realism with rule of law (tip to NRO).

A Sunni Arab minister has blood on his hands and we won't side with the victim who lost his sons to this murderer and who is trusting the rule of law to punish the criminals. We are unfortunately, based on interference from Washington, prepared to abandon justice in a misguided attempt to pretend that letting Sunni Arabs get away with murder is "reonciliation":

All eyes will be on the president here. It is a moment for him to back up his noble statements with action, by ordering his diplomats and military officers to let the Iraqi police apprehend Mr. al-Hashemi. No doubt it will be controversial — and even ignite another round of violence. But democracies aren't born without labor, and legal systems gain credibility only by breasting controversy. Justice is blind for a reason. A failure here will have worse consequences than any short-term repercussions.


Arrest Hashemi. Try him. Punish him. Rule of law has to mean something.

Maybe if we can get used to the concept on a small scale we can move on up and apply the lesson to Iran and Syria over their war on us in Iraq.