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Britain, Italy ready to exempt US citizens from ICC war crimes trials (Update)
AP ^ | Saturday, August 31, 2002 | By ROBERT WIELAARD Associated Press Writer
HELSINGOER, Denmark, Aug 31, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Italy and Britain signaled Saturday they may sign bilateral deals exempting Americans from International Criminal Court war crimes trials. The European Union said it would seek an accord to that effect with Washington next month.
Ending a two-day meeting, the 15 EU foreign ministers also condemned Iraqi President Saddam Hussein for flouting the international community's long- standing demand to readmit U.N. weapons inspectors.
Also, Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said he will tour the Middle East next week with a peace plan that is to lead to an independent Palestinian state by 2005, as called for by U.S. President George W. Bush.
Moeller also said he will seek a compromise among EU governments by Sept. 30 granting America its wish that Europeans exempt Americans from trial in the International Criminal Court on war crimes resulting from peacekeeping operations activities.
"Our aim is to arrive at an understanding with the United States ... without undermining the ICC," Moeller said.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Washington's request was a bilateral issue, not an EU matter. "Each EU nation has signed (the ICC charter in 1998) on its own and can decide on its own to conclude" additional accords with other states, said Berlusconi - a staunch Bush ally - who is also his country's foreign minister.
Officials said later Berlusconi would await the outcome of efforts to come to an EU-wide agreement with Washington.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw would not confirm reports Britain was ready to sign an exemption accord with Washington. But a British diplomat said the ICC charter "provides an avenue" for such exemptions.
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said EU governments were not out to undermine the ICC - which will hear war crimes cases against individuals when governments will not prosecute - but want "to consider the worries of the United States."
The Bush administration is concerned Americans - politicians and members of the military - could become targets of politically motivated war crimes trials. It has said sparing Americans that fate could be done under Article 98 of the ICC charter, which deals with stationing troops in foreign nations.
Legal experts of the 15 EU nations have a first meeting next Wednesday. The legal service at the EU executive Commission has already said exempting Americans from war crimes prosecutions would not be legal under the ICC treaty because Washington seeks a blanket exemption for both civilian and military personnel.
Wary of Washington talk of a war against Iraq, the EU foreign ministers said it was up to the United Nations Security Council - not the Pentagon - to force Saddam to comply with the demand for the readmission of arms inspectors.
Moeller, the meeting's chairman, said the Europeans share Washington's concern about Iraq's arms program but see no point in issuing deadlines or encouraging the United States to attack Iraq.
Fischer said a U.S. attack carried "unpredictable consequences."
EU officials were at pains to brush aside the possibility of U.S. military action against Iraq or Washington's pleas for support.
Straw, whose country is America's staunchest European ally, said Saddam must readmit the weapons inspectors without condition and without restriction.
"If he were to do that, than the case and the argument for a military action would plainly recede," Straw said.
The EU foreign ministers also endorsed a three-phase "roadmap" to Mideast peace that Moeller will discuss with governments in the region next week, including Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The goal is a Palestinian state by 2005.
AP ^ | Saturday, August 31, 2002 | By ROBERT WIELAARD Associated Press Writer
HELSINGOER, Denmark, Aug 31, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Italy and Britain signaled Saturday they may sign bilateral deals exempting Americans from International Criminal Court war crimes trials. The European Union said it would seek an accord to that effect with Washington next month.
Ending a two-day meeting, the 15 EU foreign ministers also condemned Iraqi President Saddam Hussein for flouting the international community's long- standing demand to readmit U.N. weapons inspectors.
Also, Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said he will tour the Middle East next week with a peace plan that is to lead to an independent Palestinian state by 2005, as called for by U.S. President George W. Bush.
Moeller also said he will seek a compromise among EU governments by Sept. 30 granting America its wish that Europeans exempt Americans from trial in the International Criminal Court on war crimes resulting from peacekeeping operations activities.
"Our aim is to arrive at an understanding with the United States ... without undermining the ICC," Moeller said.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Washington's request was a bilateral issue, not an EU matter. "Each EU nation has signed (the ICC charter in 1998) on its own and can decide on its own to conclude" additional accords with other states, said Berlusconi - a staunch Bush ally - who is also his country's foreign minister.
Officials said later Berlusconi would await the outcome of efforts to come to an EU-wide agreement with Washington.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw would not confirm reports Britain was ready to sign an exemption accord with Washington. But a British diplomat said the ICC charter "provides an avenue" for such exemptions.
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said EU governments were not out to undermine the ICC - which will hear war crimes cases against individuals when governments will not prosecute - but want "to consider the worries of the United States."
The Bush administration is concerned Americans - politicians and members of the military - could become targets of politically motivated war crimes trials. It has said sparing Americans that fate could be done under Article 98 of the ICC charter, which deals with stationing troops in foreign nations.
Legal experts of the 15 EU nations have a first meeting next Wednesday. The legal service at the EU executive Commission has already said exempting Americans from war crimes prosecutions would not be legal under the ICC treaty because Washington seeks a blanket exemption for both civilian and military personnel.
Wary of Washington talk of a war against Iraq, the EU foreign ministers said it was up to the United Nations Security Council - not the Pentagon - to force Saddam to comply with the demand for the readmission of arms inspectors.
Moeller, the meeting's chairman, said the Europeans share Washington's concern about Iraq's arms program but see no point in issuing deadlines or encouraging the United States to attack Iraq.
Fischer said a U.S. attack carried "unpredictable consequences."
EU officials were at pains to brush aside the possibility of U.S. military action against Iraq or Washington's pleas for support.
Straw, whose country is America's staunchest European ally, said Saddam must readmit the weapons inspectors without condition and without restriction.
"If he were to do that, than the case and the argument for a military action would plainly recede," Straw said.
The EU foreign ministers also endorsed a three-phase "roadmap" to Mideast peace that Moeller will discuss with governments in the region next week, including Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The goal is a Palestinian state by 2005.
