I've been sort of following this for a while now. The Bush adminstration, as everyone knows, has been consistent in its opposition to the International Criminal Court, which is exactly what it appears to be, a body that prosecutes international criminals -- especially war criminals, who for too long have been offered exile or even active duties after their crimes against humanity came to light and the regimes in which they had behaved criminally, fell. This is the body that should be trying Idi Amin and Henry Kissinger just as it is currently doing a good job of trying and sentencing Serbian War Criminals from the Balkan Conflict.
Of course, since we are American, it's congenitally impossible for US to breed war criminals, Lieutenant Calleys (whose frying pan, all those years ago, was taken out of the fire by one Colin Powell) to one side. And, so the "logic" goes, the ICC would only be a means with which those myriads throughout the world might persecute or otherwise politically try United Statesmen as well as the humble American Soldier. Since these people hate and envy US only because we enjoy the accoutrements of McDonalds' and Spam and Coffeemate and dishwashing liquid and our wonderful medical system, supremely heroic American Bastards like Henry Kissinger must be protected from such justice. (Here is Amnesty International's take on the ICC.)
So lately, very much under the press's radar, the Bushies have been twisting the arms, bribing, and otherwise cajoling good and bad governments, mostly of smaller countries, into non-extradition treaties, which basically nullify the already binding International codes of the ICC. Amnesty issued this press release on the matter last fall. Countries then signed up to the American sabotage of the court were Israel (surprise, surprise), East Timor (who, in doing so, effectively forgave the bastard, Henry Kissinger, who gave the green light for its genocide at the hands of Suharto), Tajikstan, and Romania.
In the last few weeks the Seychelles, Senegal and Botswana have been added. An attempt is underway with Georgia. Then the U.S. tried with Namibia who said, thanks but no thanks. Here's THAT story, and how very juicy it is. Not surprisingly, it says that Nelson Mandela's South Africa has also told the U.S. to fuck off and keep the bribe we offered.
posted by RETARDO MONTALBAN @ 1:38 PM
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