Can the President issue pardons for INTERNATIONAL crimes?

[midnight armadillo]

The other week I posted inquiring as to whether Bush can pardon his cronies for unindicted crimes. The answer was yes, apparently so.

Now, aside from the spectacle of a mass administration pardoning, I am wondering if the Presidential pardon extends to acts which are also criminal under international law, such as torture, etc. which Rumsfeld et.al. are accused of.

I imagine that even if they were pardoned here, foreign countries could still try them.

[forgethell]

1. First,

they've got to catch them. Second, whoever is president will bring enormous pressure on the countries involved to release them. The United stats will never allow its diplomats and soldiers to be put on trial for following policy. Even a liberal administration cannot allow that. It would set a very bad precedent for when conservative governments are in power. So they will have to be tried in the USA, or not at all. tha's my opinion, anyway.

[Spazito]

2. Agreed, if the US is to start gaining back any credibility ...

in the world, any charges, etc, should be done within the United States. That would not preclude the world court issuing endictments so that, if the US chooses to let the war criminals get away with their crimes, they cannot leave the United States without the danger of being apprehended and brought before the international court.