Abstract
Mssr. Guénaël Mettraux, a respected defense counsel for international criminal tribunals in The Hague, has suggested in the New York Times that creation of an international criminal tribunal would be the best way for the Obama Administration to deal with the Guantanamo Bay detainees. This idea has been floated before, but has not gained much traction. True, it would shore up American support for international law and multilateral institutions, raise our stock in the U.N. Security Council, and finally provide some kind of legal process for those lingering in the legal black hole of Gitmo. But the flipside of this proposition is characterized by extraordinarily lengthy and costly trials probably located somewhere distantly removed from the evidence and witnesses needed for both prosecution and defense. Trials of major war criminals at the Yugoslav tribunal extended for years and cost millions.