Date: Sat, 03 Nov 2001 15:16:17 -0500 From: Chuck0 <chuck-AT-tao.ca> Subject: Fwd: U.S. authorizes invasion of Netherlands -------- Original Message -------- Subject: U.S. authorizes invasion of Netherlands Date: Sat, 03 Nov 2001 14:53:10 -0500 From: Gary Ashwill <gna-AT-duke.edu> Reply-To: lbo-talk-AT-lists.panix.com To: <lbo-talk-AT-lists.panix.com> >From Al-Ahram http://www.ahram.org.eg/weekly/2001/558/4war1.htm (snip) Meanwhile, the US State Department -- taking advantage of the frenzy and confusion that followed the terrorist acts -- endorsed the American Service-members Protection Act (ASPA) on November 5. The legislation authorises the US to use force to "liberate" any US or allied persons detained on behalf of the proposed International Criminal Court (ICC), which will be based in The Hague, Netherlands. It also prohibits US military assistance to those states that ratify the ICC treaty except for NATO members and some major non-NATO allies. The New York based Human Rights Watch described the new law as an attempt to undermine the establishment of a permanent war crimes court. "The United States is forging a global coalition against terrorism, and the State Department has just endorsed a bill that authorises an invasion of the Netherlands," said Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Programme at HRW. "This makes no sense. It hardly seems like a good moment for the US to be threatening sanctions against dozens of countries simply because they want to bring to justice the perpetrators of crimes against humanity."
Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005