"Passage occurred after France postponed consideration of a resolution that would refer war crime cases from Sudan to the International Criminal Court, a move seen as a challenge to the United States and likely to provoke an American veto. That vote was rescheduled for March 30."
Could be the U.S. is just a bit apprehensive that things like Abu Ghraib, Guantanemo and "rendering" may make it the focus of war crimes charges and does not want to establish any precedent for referral to the ICC. Of course saying that its opposition is based on preventing politically motivated legal actions against Americans abroad sounds good at home. However, the only Americans accused of war crimes so far are Bush, Rumsfeld and others in the administration associated with the torture accusations. A very tiny group to be basing a veto on. David Bier http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/25/international/africa/25sudan.html?ex=1269406800&en=e57b2d44ad4f7c48&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland March 25, 2005 politically motivated legal actions against Americans abroad. By WARREN HOGE UNITED NATIONS, March 24 - The Security Council passed a resolution on Thursday establishing a 10,000-member peacekeeping force for Sudan to reinforce a peace agreement in the south of the country and to lend assistance in the conflicted Darfur region in the west. The measure, introduced by the United States, drew the support of all 15 Council members. Passage occurred after France postponed consideration of a resolution that would refer war crime cases from Sudan to the International Criminal Court, a move seen as a challenge to the United States and likely to provoke an American veto. That vote was rescheduled for March 30. The vote on Thursday followed two months of delay in which the Council and member countries were subject to rising complaints that world powers had failed to respond to what the United Nations has called the world's worst human crisis. Council members disagree over placing sanctions on Sudan, an idea opposed by Algeria, China and Russia, and over which court should try perpetrators of atrocities in light of the American objections to the international court. Secretary General Kofi Annan sent a message to the Council after the vote pointing out that there was a "clear recommendation" by a United Nations special commission to Darfur in January to send the war crime cases to the court and saying that "sanctions should also be kept on the table." "While I welcome today's resolution," he said, "I also look forward to the Council's decisions on those issues." Stuart Holliday, a deputy American ambassador, made a brief statement saying, "We remain very concerned and disturbed by the situation in Darfur and will continue working with Council colleagues." The Bush administration, which revoked the Clinton administration's signature on the treaty creating the Hague court, opposes it out of concern that it could bring politically motivated legal actions against Americans abroad. Nine of the 15 Council members have signed and ratified that treaty, and the French believe that they have at least 11 votes to pass their resolution. Thursday's resolution calls for a peacekeeping force of 10,000 military personnel and 715 civilian police officers to monitor progress in the south of Sudan and help the African Union, which has 2,000 troops in Darfur. The peace agreement that the force is pledged to reinforce was signed on Jan. 9 by the Islamic government in Khartoum and rebels from the Christian and animist south, ending a 21-year war that the United Nations estimates cost 1.5 million lives and forced four million people to flee their homes. While there is no direct connection between the conflicts in the south and the west, the United States, a principal promoter of the accord, and the United Nations have expressed the hope that the January signing will serve to speed peacemaking in Darfur, where "ethnic cleansing" by government-supported Arab militias has made refugees of two million villagers and cost the lives of an estimated 300,000 people. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Give underprivileged students the materials they need to learn. Bring education to life by funding a specific classroom project. http://us.click.yahoo.com/FHLuJD/_WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? 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