Word: icc
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...magnitude. International criminal law—which enables accused war criminals to be tried in other countries for “crimes against humanity”—is a relatively new field, and the most notable recent advancement is the establishment of a permanent International Criminal Court (ICC). Yet much work remains to make international justice work. International law needs to be further developed before it is clear what acts come under the court’s jurisdiction. The hope is that a strong international court will not only provide case-by-case justice, but will also serve...
...slippery slope; once it had conceded that Americans could be subject to the court's jurisdiction, the way would be open for a foreign prosecutor to frivolously accuse a U.S. soldier (or Defense Secretary, for that matter) of war crimes. Europeans say safeguards prevent such an eventuality. (The ICC, for example, is meant to take up cases only if national authorities fail to investigate complaints.) And so the squabble poisons an Atlantic relationship that is already sour...
...could be against bringing war criminals to justice? On the face of it, the Bush Administration, which wants U.S. armed forces to be immune from prosecution before the new International Criminal Court (ICC). High-handed American arrogance again? Not exactly...
...often the way with the Bush Administration, however, Washington is making the worst of a good case. There are sound reasons for exempting American troops and officials from the ICC's purview. In the world today, the U.S. is uniquely powerful, with a near monopoly on the ability to project force globally. American power is much in demand. From the Balkans to the border between North and South Korea, American armed forces maintain a degree of stability in places that would otherwise be flash points. But this very ubiquity of American power has bred a natural resentment. The Bush Administration...
...articulate why other countries profit from America's military power. No other nation, or group of nations, could conceivably replace the U.S. as the world's policeman; but like it or not, that American role will be played on American terms. Europeans should ask themselves whether, right now, the ICC is worth more than continued American engagement in the world. The answer is easy...