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Commentators ponder the effectiveness of the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants for Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, his son and his intelligence chief for crimes against humanity.

The , as it will help to deter future "aggressors":

"In issuing warrants for the arrest of those accused of violence against Libyan civilians, the ICC has given heart to those suffering under despotism, and given notice to oppressors that they will be pursued and tried if they violate the laws of war. The court has also enhanced its own reputation for upholding impartial standards of justice in an anarchic world order."

In contrast that the arrest warrant could make Col Gaddafi more dangerous because it means he has nowhere to go:

"On his refusal to budge, Gaddafi has been entirely consistent from the outset and, because he has nowhere to go and because the ICC has effectively branded him an international outlaw, it seems implausible to believe he will change his mind now. The ICC has added its weight to attempts to corner Gaddafi. But cornered, he is rendered all the more dangerous."

In a similar vein, the the ICC should have waited:

"The ICC is not supposed to let political or tactical considerations enter into its decisions about whom to indict. But if granting Khadafy safe passage out of the country could shorten Libya's civil war by weeks or months, saving many lives, calling for his arrest only after he had fled Libya would have been the wiser move."

that anyone will follow through with an arrest after the warrant:

"The Western powers may have welcomed the warrants but do they feel any responsibility to ensure that Gaddafi and the other indictees end up at the Hague? Or are they now so intent on extricating themselves from the crisis that they'll willingly ease Gaddafi's exit to a place beyond the reach of the court?
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"One of the most serious problems the ICC faces is that it attracts plenty of support in the abstract and at the outset of its investigations. But when states are asked to support - and to prioritize - its work in the midst of complex crises, the picture changes."

about the ICC convicting Col Gaddafi even if there is an arrest:

"Despite billions in funding, the court has failed to convict a single defendant in its eight-year history. Its arrest warrant against Sudan's President Bashir was issued in March, 2009; more than two years later, the Sudanese leader is still in power and even traveling internationally - albeit only to countries that do not recognize the ICC - and officials in The Hague have appeared powerless to bring him to justice. When people are brought to court, trials can drag on for years.
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"With no foreign forces in Tripoli, arresting the Libyan leader and his son could require a cataclysmic split in the regime. Many military commanders and politicians have defected since February, but they have fled the capital to the rebel side, rather than moving against Gaddafi and his inner circle in Tripoli itself. "