Kathryn, as disgraceful as that lawsuit may appear to be, it’s worth noting (a) that it does not appear to have been endorsed by the German authorities, at least as yet, and (b) that America’s Alien Torts Act can, in some respects, be compared with Germany’s notion of ‘universal jurisdiction’. That doesn’t justify the German law, but it puts it into some context.

While on this unlovely topic, however, one thing that has always puzzled me (yes, I’m being ironic) is why such plaintiffs never seem to take a run at old Gorby. You may recall that he presided over the not notably gentle Afghan war for three years or so.