On the one hand -- my, how surprising of the government. On the other hand ... my, how puzzling of the government.
The United States has agreed to let the International Criminal Court try people accused of committing war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region, a news report says. Washington had strongly opposed holding the trials at the UN court in The Hague, but agreed to a compromise on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported, citing officials from the administration of President George W. Bush.
The United States doesn't support the court because it says it fears political enemies might launch frivolous or politically motivated prosecutions against U.S. citizens. [...] [ The UN Security Council] unanimously approved a resolution to send 10,000 peacekeepers to southern Sudan – but the troops won't be going to Darfur.
It's surprising that the administration would allow the ICC jurisdiction over anything anywhere. (It's even more surprising that anyone is listening to the US on that issue, but unfortunately, the UN Security Council doesn't have a choice about that.) But ...the US doesn't have troops deployed in Sudan, and the administration has no right to try to insulate aid workers against such trials. (And in any event, given this administration's demonstrated antipathy to the politics of most aid organizations, you'd think they'd be perfectly content to have such aid workers tried and convicted.) So what on earth was the point?
And what, pray, is the point of sending thousands of peacekeepers to Sudan if they're not going to one of the major centers of all the problems?
Posted by iain at March 31, 2005 02:58 PM
