Originally posted by: Craig234
Originally posted by: JD50
Originally posted by: GarfieldtheCat
Originally posted by: JD50
Originally posted by: GarfieldtheCat
In several cases, yes. Also, certain actions are illegal, whether it happens in the US or outside the county. You didn't know this?
How often has this actually happened?
What I mean is, how often has someone been arrested for breaking a US law in a foreign country? I guess I've never really thought about it before, that's why I'm wondering.
IANAL, but I know since the 80's, anyone that breaks certain laws outside the US can be tried in the US. I believe this started to enforce anti-terrorism laws. That's how we captured terrorists that committed acts outside the US, and brought them to a US federal judge to be tried.
I believe that certain other laws have similar concepts, where the law applies outside the US. Certainly not every law would be under this, since that would be stupid. I don't know where a full listing of all laws would be.
This federal law applies to torture, specifically spaying that it's illegal outside the US.
Hmmmm.....interesting.
For one, there are a lot of US laws that we extend to foreigners in their own lands, and consider we have the right to grab, bring, try and punish people.
Take Noriega for just one example - a Panamanian in Panama, charged in US court for violating US laws for things he did there, captured, brought - there are many others.
For another thing, international law has come to recognize some rights of 'anyone' to hold people accountable for some crimes like genocide.
This is clearly needed in light of the practicalities that the perpetrators are frequently in power in a state who is not going to hold them accountable.
It gets difficult to sort out, but the choice of just not doing anything against such crimes, and the most powerful nations being 'more equal than others' under the law in their getting to selectively enforce laws where it happens to fit with their selfish interests, isn't too good a situation.