Obama, Congress & the Syria Vote

To the Editor:

Using poison gas has been a war crime since the 1920s. The Nuremberg trials made plain that crimes are committed by individuals. Only the responsible leaders should be held to judicial account.

No one wants the United States to be the policeman of the world. Congress is not a suitable forum to determine facts and responsibility. The United Nations Security Council should refer the issue to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which is competent to penalize crimes against humanity.

Benjamin B. Ferencz
Delray Beach, Fla., Sept. 1, 2013
The writer was a prosecutor at the Nuremberg war crimes trials after World War II.