Posted on 06/24/2004 12:48:25 PM PDT by take
Annan backs US immunity decision
The prisoner abuse scandal undermined support for the US Kofi Annan has welcomed the decision by the United States to abandon efforts to stop its troops from being prosecuted by the International Criminal Court. The United Nations secretary general said the move would help to maintain unity in the security council at a difficult time.
US troops have had immunity from prosecution under a deal struck two years ago. It runs out on 30 June.
Washington withdrew a resolution to extend it after a lack of support.
"The United States has decided not to proceed further with consideration and action on the draft at this time in order to avoid a prolonged and divisive debate," said the US deputy ambassador to the UN James Cunningham.
Climb-down
The BBC's Susannah Price at the United Nations says the move is a major climb-down for the Americans, who rarely face such united opposition on the Council.
She says the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq and opposition from Mr Annan, helped persuade the majority of council members not to back the proposal. Blanket exemption is wrong. It is of dubious judicial value and I don't think it should be encouraged by the council
Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General
US drops immunity request
The UK was one of the few countries on the 15-member council that planned to back the resolution.
The US has previously threatened to veto UN peacekeeping operations if its demands for exemption from prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague were not met.
It has argued that the exemption is needed to protect troops against politically-motivated prosecutions.
Mr Cunningham did not repeat the warning, but said the US would in future "need to take into account the risk of ICC review when determining contributions to UN authorised or established operations".
The Bush administration is said to be indicating that it will protect its troops, serving in UN missions abroad, through bilateral agreements instead.
The US had offered a compromise to the security council on Tuesday, asking it to renew the existing immunity for just one more year.
But it was not enough to gain the necessary support of nine out of the 15 council members.
Exemption opposed
Earlier this month Mr Annan said if the exemption - which expires on 30 June - were extended, it would discredit the UN's claim to represent the rule of law.
"For the past two years, I have spoken quite strongly against the exemption and I think it would be unfortunate for one to press for such an exemption, given the prisoner abuse in Iraq," he said.
HAVE YOUR SAY This will limit the US involvement in peace-keeping operations and the international community will lose
Kingsley Jika, Zomba. Malawi
Send us your comments "Blanket exemption is wrong. It is of dubious judicial value and I don't think it should be encouraged by the council."
It is unlikely that American troops would end up at the ICC when the exemption runs out next week, our correspondent says.
Ninety-four countries, including Iraq, have not signed up so it would not apply to US troops on their territory.
Washington also has bilateral agreements with 89 others to protect US troops from prosecution.
Our correspondent says the countries signed up to the ICC point out that the court is only meant to be a measure of last resort, to be used if US courts failed to take action themselves.
Annan in historic meeting with Supreme Court &Congress/is believed to be unprecedented.
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b0c30a81760.htm
Sounds like we should bring our troops home from Kosovo.
Sounds like we should bring our troops home from Kosovo.
a package of 34 treaties, all of which were ratified by a show of hands -- no recorded vote.
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a325b3f5d31.htm
How many are stationed there? And dare I ask why?
The assurance that the world court will only prosecute if the US doesn't is pure horse****. The International Criminal Court statute has a bunch of stupid made up crimes that no country prosecutes -- like causing "excess" environmental damage.
And even if there are things that the US will punish, it's a matter of degree. The military may decide that a certain incident of collateral damage was accidental or unavoidable, while the world court bureaucrats will call it a crime.
We should withdraw all support, manpower, or money, from the UN's laughable "peacekeeping" missions.
***Mr Cunningham did not repeat the warning, but said the US would in future "need to take into account the risk of ICC review when determining contributions to UN authorised or established operations".***
Did I miss something here? Was this a threat to limit our contributions to the UN's operations?
No problem Annan. We'll just wait until you are convicted in the Oil for Food program scandal.
Wonder if you have immunity from prosecution for the crime from the United States if you are found guilty here.
My first thoughts on this are that if the US and the UN are at odds over what is a war crime, and the US decides not to prosecute, then the UN may decide that prosecution is necessary. I admit that I have only read what info is available here on FR about this topic, but doesn't it seem to anyone else that the UN will be forcing the hand of US courts? Imagine a situation where we are asking for support from the UN security council for some future military action, and they come back and say "OK, but only if you bring 'justice' to these soldiers." I have two family members in the military. I don't like this. Just my 2 cents.
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent
There was no prisoner abuse in iraq!!!!
the news media need to get their heads out of their partisan collective @sses and report the truth for once in their miserable little lives.
GWB needs to flip kofi the bird and give the u.n. 30 minutes to get the hell out of the United States and then be subject to being arrested and having panties put on their head about 30 seconds before their head is chopped off with a very dull knife!!
sorry folks, but theses morons just make me wanna be part of an Art Bell experiment in outer space!!!
It's time to tell the UN to take a flying leap.
END the U.N..
You have hit upon the catch in the UN scheme. That is exactly what will happen.
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