-Caveat Lector- http://frontierpost.com.pk/main.asp?id=15&date1=7/3/2002
Immunity to US soldiers undermines ICC: France Shahid Ahmad Qureshi Updated on 7/3/2002 12:28:39 PM LONDON: Britain and France say giving US soldiers immunity would undermine the new court-International Crimes Court (ICC)-from day one. It's deadlock. In private, British officials say the American position is illogical and obstructive. Moreover, the bombing of a wedding party in Afghanistan in which 120 people reportedly killed came only hours after America had vetoed the continuation of a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Balkans on the grounds that its soldiers could risk being hauled before the new ICC. The Americans want its troops in Bosnia to have immunity from prosecution. The Europeans-including the British-say that's not acceptable. A little local difficulty in the “special relationship” or a sign that Britain and America are drifting apart? It’s ostensibly a row about the international police force in Bosnia, but it’s much more than that. This is the first time Britain has taken a firm, public stance against the Bush administration. Last night’s UN vote was clear: the Americans will pull out of the UN police mission to Bosnia unless their forces are given immunity from prosecution by the new Court. United Kingdom is in a dilemma, to back the United States or Europe? The new ICC which came into being today is a central plank of British foreign policy-to punish war criminals. Britain normally likes to support America, but the Americans are trying to sabotage the court, so on the ICC Britain finds itself in harmony with Europe. The US President George W Bush has a new policy-'pre-emptive action' or 'anticipatory self-defence'. That means America may strike first if it fears a country may be planning an attack on the US. The new ICC might regard such action as aggression-a war crime, hence the American attempt to derail the court. The Britain Prime Minister Tony Blair likes to believe he can influence Bush, but in Washington today power rests with the hawks who invented the new policy. In British Parliament today, Blair was asked about the US plan to protect its steel industry in defiance of free trade agreements, and Bush’s refusal to deal with Yasser Arafat-both issues of profound transatlantic disagreement. There’s also the row over climate change. No compromise has emerged over in Bosnia, so it seems that while the Americans will keep their troops there for the moment, they will pull out their police. The relationship with US is turning into the biggest diplomatic difficulty the Prime Minister Blair faces. His instinct is to back US President Bush but the Americans are making that increasingly difficult. Prime Minister Blair likes to see himself as a bridge between the US and Europe, but at the moment the gap’s just too wide to bear. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
