"The concept of war crimes is an American invention"

The quote by George Wald recommends that the idea of war crimes is a concept that was produced by the United States. This indicates that the United States was the first to acknowledge that certain actions taken during war are undesirable and ought to be penalized. This might be viewed as a sign of progress, as it reveals that the United States was willing to take a stand against the atrocities of war. It likewise recommends that the United States wanted to take obligation for its actions and hold itself responsible for any misbehaviors. This quote might likewise be interpreted as a criticism of the US, as it implies that the US was the very first to acknowledge the need for war criminal offenses, but has not done enough to prevent them from occurring. Despite the interpretation, this quote highlights the value of recognizing and penalizing war criminal offenses, and the function the United States has played in this procedure.