The window of hope to try war criminals has been closed; for now

The Belgian court of appeal has thrown out a war crimes lawsuit brought under a controversial law against retired US general Tommy Franks, who commanded the US-led invasion on Iraq.

The case was brought under the "universal competence" law which originally allowed Belgian courts to rule on crimes against humanity regardless of the nationality of the perpetrator or where the crimes took place.

Faced with pressure from Washington, the Belgian government agreed this year to scrap the law, and in August parliament approved a new, watered-down version.
"The court ruled that it must apply the new law," lawyer Jan Fernon said in Brussels on Tuesday. Fernon, who represented plaintiffs in the case, said he had not ruled out taking the case to Belgium's supreme court, the Cour de Cassation.

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