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The truth is, without U.S. participation, the ICC is little more than an empty
shell, just like the rest of the UN operation. The internationalists can huff
and puff all day about enforcing their will on the world, but they simply are
not powerful enough to make the United States do anything against our will.
Many anti-UN activists, myself included, were excited at the prospects of
declaring the International Criminal Court "dead on arrival."
However, no sooner had the Bush Administration announced its intention to
ignore the ICC than the waffling began. Once again, the Bush Administration
took the stance of the American paper tiger as it opened negotiations with
ICC officials to exempt U.S. soldiers and officials from potential criminal
prosecution. The UN simply refused to budge. Then the U.S. threatened to
remove American soldiers from UN peacekeeping missions unless they were given
the exemption. Again, the UN refused and the U.S. announced an extension of
our peacekeeping mission in Bosnia.
Why would the Bush Administration allow itself to be put in this weakened
position? The simple refusal to participate was enough to protect American
soldiers. We don't need assurances from the UN for that protection. If the
U.S. says no, there's not an entity on earth that would or could try to
enforce trials of U.S. soldiers.
More importantly, the United States is not the only nation to refuse to join
the ICC. Communist China, Japan and India have refused to join. Moreover,
Russia and Israel regret joining and would very likely reverse that decision
if the United States would stick to its guns and refuse to participate in the
ICC. Without those major nations involved there would simply be no
International Criminal Court. Who would enforce it? Who would we fear coming
to arrest American soldiers?
The United States has an opportunity to start a trend away from the growing
UN drive for global governance, if we stand strongly for our convictions.
Apparently, however, the Bush Administration lacks the ability to stick with
its original, proper instincts. Thankfully, there is another way to achieve
the same goal.
Once again, Congressman Ron Paul of Texas has provided the answer. He has
introduced the "American Service Member and Citizen Protection Act" which he
says, "repudiates ICC jurisdiction over American Citizens." The bill
essentially provides that "the International Criminal Court is not valid with
respect to the United States." The bill would ban the use of taxpayer funds
for the court and deems ICC actions against American servicemen as acts of
aggression against America.
"The ICC is completely illegitimate, even under the UN's own charter," says
Rep. Paul. The bill notes that under the terms of the 1969 Vienna Convention
on the Law of Treaties, "no nation can be bound by a treaty to which that
nation has not consented."
Americans need to rally behind the Paul bill and send a strong message to the
Bush Administration that it needs to stand behind the just interests of the
United States.
Tom DeWeese is the publisher/editor of The DeWeese Report and president of
the American Policy Center, a Warrenton, Virginia grass-roots think tank. The
Center maintains an Internet site at www.americanpolicy.org.
Published by permission.
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