Yaqeen Blog

In the world of international law, the term War Criminal is a serious label. It refers to a person who is responsible for "War Crimes"—actions that break the global rules meant to keep war from becoming a total massacre of innocent people. These rules, known as the Geneva Conventions, are like a "World Law" that says you cannot intentionally hurt civilians, torture prisoners, or destroy homes and hospitals without a clear military reason.

This piece looks at ten major American leaders who have been accused of breaking these rules. While none of them were ever officially convicted in a world court, their decisions led to the deaths of millions of people. Understanding these cases is the only way to see how real power actually works behind the scenes.

According to international treaties like the Geneva Conventions, war crimes include things like:

• Intentionally killing or mistreating civilians.

• Torture or inhumane treatment of prisoners.

• Destroying homes, schools, or hospitals that have no military use.

• Launching attacks that they know will cause excessive death to innocent people.

The individuals below are some of the most prominent U.S. leaders who have faced serious, documented allegations of war crimes by human rights organizations, international lawyers, or foreign governments.

1. Henry Kissinger (Secretary of State, 1973–1977)

Kissinger is perhaps the most frequently cited figure in discussions of U.S. war crimes. His "realpolitik" approach—putting U.S. power above all else—led to interventions that caused massive loss of life.

• The Allegations: Secretly carpet-bombing neutral Cambodia, supporting the "dirty wars" in Argentina and Chile, and greenlighting the Indonesian invasion of East Timor.

• Estimated Lives Lost: 3 million to 4 million across Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, and East Timor.

• Wikipedia Profile

2. George W. Bush (President, 2001–2009)

Bush is accused primarily for his decision to launch the "unlawful" invasion of Iraq based on false intelligence regarding weapons of mass destruction.

• The Allegations: Waging a "war of aggression," authorizing "enhanced interrogation" (torture) at sites like Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, and failing to protect civilians during the occupation.

• Estimated Lives Lost: 100,000 to over 600,000 Iraqis (depending on the study) during the invasion and subsequent sectarian violence.

• Wikipedia Profile

3. Harry S. Truman (President, 1945–1953)

The debate over Truman centers on his final decision to use atomic weapons, making him the only leader in history to use nuclear arms in war.

• The Allegations: Intentionally targeting civilian populations in Hiroshima and Nagasaki with a weapon of mass destruction, which many argue was militarily unnecessary.

• Estimated Lives Lost: 129,000 to 226,000, mostly civilians, killed instantly or by radiation.

• Wikipedia Profile

4. Dick Cheney (Vice President, 2001–2009)

As the "architect" of the War on Terror, Cheney is accused of pushing for policies that bypassed both international law and the U.S. Constitution.

• The Allegations: Promoting the use of torture, illegal mass surveillance, and overseeing the invasion of Panama in 1989 (as Secretary of Defense) which killed thousands of civilians.

• Estimated Lives Lost: Included in the 4.5 million deaths associated with post-9/11 war zones (Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen).

• Wikipedia Profile

5. Donald Rumsfeld (Secretary of Defense, 2001–2006)

Rumsfeld was the direct supervisor of the military during the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

• The Allegations: Specifically approving interrogation techniques that constituted torture and being "repeatedly notified" of prisoner abuse but failing to stop it.

• Estimated Lives Lost: Significant portion of the hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan.

• Wikipedia Profile

6. Barack Obama (President, 2009–2017)

While seen as a diplomat, Obama’s massive expansion of the drone program has led to accusations from groups like Amnesty International.

• The Allegations: Ordering "double-tap" drone strikes (striking rescuers helping the first victims) and the "surgical" bombing of countries where the U.S. was not officially at war.

• Estimated Lives Lost: Between 384 and 807 civilians in Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen, plus thousands of combatants.

• Wikipedia Profile

7. Ronald Reagan (President, 1981–1989)

Reagan’s focus on the Cold War led to the support of violent regimes in Latin America.

• The Allegations: Funding "death squads" in El Salvador and the Contras in Nicaragua, even after Congress made it illegal.

• Estimated Lives Lost: 75,000 in El Salvador and 30,000 in Nicaragua.

• Wikipedia Profile

8. Lyndon B. Johnson (President, 1963–1969)

LBJ oversaw the largest escalation of the Vietnam War.

• The Allegations: Ordering "search and destroy" missions and the massive aerial bombing of North Vietnam (Operation Rolling Thunder), which resulted in high civilian casualties.

• Estimated Lives Lost: 1 million to 3 million Vietnamese (combatants and civilians combined).

• Wikipedia Profile

9. Bill Clinton (President, 1993–2001)

The most specific allegation against Clinton involves a single strike with long-lasting consequences.

• The Allegations: The 1998 bombing of the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Sudan, which the U.S. claimed was a chemical weapons plant. It was actually a medicine factory, and its loss led to thousands of indirect deaths from disease.

• Estimated Lives Lost: Tens of thousands of Sudanese due to the loss of malaria and TB medicine.

• Wikipedia Profile

10. Donald Trump (President, 2017–2021)

Trump is accused of loosening the "rules of engagement," which led to a spike in civilian casualties during his term.

• The Allegations: Indiscriminate bombing of cities like Raqqa and Mosul and removing requirements to report civilian deaths from CIA drone strikes.

• Estimated Lives Lost: Thousands of non-combatants; Airwars alleged a record 1,000 non-combatant deaths in just one month (March 2017).

• Wikipedia Profile

The Lesson: Why This List Exists

This list is a way to look at the "Chain of Command." In war, the person who pulls the trigger is usually a soldier, but the person who made the crime possible is the leader who gave the order. These leaders often say they did these things to "protect the country," but historians and lawyers argue that no goal is worth breaking the basic laws of humanity.

By looking at these names, we can see that having "Real Power" also means having a huge responsibility. When a leader ignores the rules of war, it isn't just a political mistake—it's a choice that changes the lives of millions of people forever.