Opposition Growing to U.S. Exemption on Global Court

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5277445&pageNumber=0


Opposition Growing to U.S. Exemption on Global Court
Thu May 27, 2004 01:05 PM ET


By Evelyn Leopold
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States may not have enough U.N. votes to exempt American soldiers from prosecution by a new global criminal court, with China now questioning the action in view of the prison scandal in Iraq, diplomats said on Thursday.

A Security Council draft resolution designed to put U.S. peacekeepers out of the reach of the International Criminal Court expires on July 1. A renewal was delayed last week by China and it is expected to go before the council again after a resolution on Iraq's transition is adopted.

Two years ago the council voted unanimously in favor of the measure when the Bush administration began to veto U.N. peacekeeping missions after members hesitated.

Last year three nations abstained but this year there are enough abstentions that could bring the resolution perilously close to defeat. A minimum of nine votes in favor is needed for adoption in the 15-member council.

-more

Would our country's participation in the ICC be conditional upon ratification by the Senate?

This may be our best chance to get the neocons who ordered the torture tried for war crimes.

:kick:

The US has had to pull the resolution on the extension for immunity because there were not enough votes and the current resolution expires June 30th, the SAME day as the proposed hand-over to a interim Iraqi government.

Brahimi was supposed to submit the names of the proposed interim Iraqi government next week but has now stated he will be unable to do so which will delay discussion on the US/British resolution on the handover.

If the US does not get their resolution on the extension for immunity passed and if the hand-over resolution vote is delayed beyond June 30th, the US will still be the "occupying authority" in Iraq and will have to fulfill all the responsibilities laid out in the Geneva Conventions and, if they do not, they will have no protection against war crime charges from July 1st on. Could get VERY interesting!