How Crimes of War Became Not Okay

 

When planes struck the Twin Towers in 2001, John Fabian Witt–author, historian, and Yale Law School Professor–found his thoughts turning to history and the laws of war.

“All of the policies that have happened since 9/11 have happened inside the American tradition. Even in the furthest excesses of the Bush administration, it wasn’t that far off,” Witt stated in response to a question about acts of war versus criminal acts. “The idea of moving a conflict outside of the US is as old as the US.”

However, as a historian, Witt prefers …