http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20011207_1996.html

Senate votes overwhelmingly to bar U.S. participation in new international criminal court

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate voted overwhelmingly Friday to block U.S. participation in a new international criminal court that opponents fear could stage politically motivated trials of American troops and government officials. The 78-21 vote added the language, introduced by Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., to this year's defense spending bill.

The Helms provision's ultimate fate is unclear. The House version of the defense spending bill contains no such provision, but in May, the House voted 282-137 to include similar language in a separate bill authorizing State Department programs.

Before the vote on Helms' proposal, the Senate voted 51-48 to reject a weaker alternative by Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn. That proposal would have required President Bush to tell Congress what changes it could enact "to advance and protect U.S. interests" as the court is established.

Helms said his amendment, backed by veterans and other military groups, would "protect these soldiers and their civilian leaders from an unaccountable kangaroo court."

Opponents such as Dodd retorted that if the United States does not join in establishing the court, "Our men and women in uniform will be subjected to terrible rules. You've got to be a player."

Richard Dicker, who directs the international justice program of Human Rights Watch, called the Senate vote "a low point in the U.S. Senate's commitment to strengthening international human rights."

The new court, to be established as a permanent body at The Hague, Netherlands, was created by a 1998 treaty that President Clinton signed but the Senate has not ratified.

It would try people, not governments, for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. Supporters say it could prosecute terrorists such as members of al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden's organization, but it could not prosecute crimes committed before the court existed.

As of Nov. 30, 47 nations have ratified the treaty, 13 short of the number needed to empower the court.

Bush, who has criticized the treaty, has said he will not send it to the Senate for ratification without changes.

Helms' amendment, similar to freestanding legislation he introduced this year, would bar U.S. cooperation with the court, including use of federal funds or the sharing of classified information. It would give the president the power to use "all means necessary and appropriate" to free any American detained by the court.

It also would limit U.S. involvement in overseas peacekeeping missions unless the United Nations exempts American troops from prosecution by the court. Additionally, it would restrict foreign aid to other countries that fail to sign accords preventing American troops within their borders from being delivered to the court.

Countries that have already ratified the court treaty include U.S. NATO allies Britain, France, the Netherlands and Germany.

On the Net: International Criminal Court http://www.igc.org/icc/index.html

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001