Filed by KOSU News in Art & Life.
January 12, 2012

At the close of World War II, the Allies faced a grim challenge: How to deal with senior Nazi officers who perpetrated mass killings during the war. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill preferred summary justice, while the United States proposed a military commission — the option that carried the day.

British journalist William Shawcross has a unique perspective on the Nuremberg trials. His father, Hartley Shawcross, served as the United Kingdom’s chief prosecutor.

In Justice and the Enemy: Nuremberg, 9/11, and the Trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, William Shawcross says the Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders after World War II created a template for the trial of future war crimes — including how to treat those who orchestrate terrorist attacks.

In his book, Shawcroft considers the case of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks who will be tried in a military commission in 2012. And while Shawcross admits that military tribunals have weaknesses, he says there is no better mechanism for bringing Mohammed to justice. [Copyright 2012 National Public Radio]