Will Qaddafi be charged with war crimes?

Will Qaddafi be charged with war crimes and human rights violations? CBS News.

Ivory Coast ‘war crimes’ both sides responsible says Amnesty

Ivory Coast war crimes against humanity. Both sides are responsible says Amnesty International. United Nations Video.

Nazi-era WWII graves to be excavated in Austria

Austrian authorities to exhume some 220 bodies buried on a hospital’s grounds once it has thawed. These could be possible victims of Nazi extermination.

Further articles on this topic can be found at Reuters and the BBC

World peace with forensic archaeology?

World peace with forensic archaeology!  Is it possible?

While world peace might be a bold claim in terms of forensic archaeology all on it’s lonesome, peace is somewhat part of what what the profession is about. Besides the general digging up of dead bodies or retrieving body parts during mass disasters and major incident investigations, there is in my opinion a deeper meaning to this area of forensics.

Forensic science in general is concerned with using science for the law and is used (generally speaking) to fight crime in order to render people accountable for their wrongdoings as well as provide a form of closure for victims.

In essence, forensic science is there to provide the best possible scientific evidence in support of a legal dispute. Be that civil cases or criminal investigations.

Forensic archaeology continues to be used in the detection and excavation of mass graves in relation to war crimes and genocide investigation. These include some of the worst atrocities known to man and beg belief when looking at the psychological and social motives for such crimes.

On an ethical basis it absurd that someone would want to do such horrible things to another human being and yet as a species, we are no strangers to war and death.

Without straying any further from the point, forensic investigations could be regarded as a safeguard for people. After all forensic archaeology is part of a system in support of the police and other law enforcement agencies.

Consequently forensics is participating as a driving force towards a utopian society where ultimately, after having achieved world peace, it would no longer be necessary to have said profession! While this may not happen in the immediate future, or maybe ever (given the grotesque nature of our species), this should not diminish our efforts in trying to reach this objective.

This positive course of action has been happening in all areas of our society for a long time. Just look at how we are dealing with global warming and taking positive steps towards sustainable and environmentally friendly living.

As we live in an ever increasingly populated world, forensic archaeology and forensic science can act as a deterrent to some criminals and therefore bring us slightly closer to a world in which we can live side by side (at this point you can get out the hippie flower necklaces), acknowledging our differences but above all, living in harmony.

That’s a vision of world peace I could live with.

Many Thanks and peace to all,

Alex

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Uncovering Iraq’s Horrors in Desert Graves

2006 Article from the New York Times:

Uncovering Iraq’s Horrors in Desert Graves

Babies found in Iraqi mass grave

BBC news site:

Babies found in Iraqi mass grave