Kindgo
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US military aid stopped in court immunity rift
By Toby Harnden in Washington
(Filed: 02/07/2003)
The United States yesterday cut off military aid to almost 50 countries that have refused to sign immunity deals exempting American citizens from prosecution by the International Criminal Court.
Allies such as Colombia and South Africa, six countries seeking Nato membership and states that strongly supported the Iraq war were on the list.
The move was partly symbolic because much of the money in the current financial year has already been spent but the ban could still be in effect when the new year starts in October.
Colombia, where President Alvaro Uribe's government is fighting IRA-aided Marxist narco-terrorists, has been one of the largest recipients of American military aid, with £60 million this year.
The £3 million still not spent has now been frozen.
As the deadline passed for governments to sign exemption agreements, known as Article 98s, or face the suspension of military aid, President George W Bush issued waivers for 22 countries.
Many diplomats condemned the ban as heavy-handed and cutting across American priorities such as anti-drug operations in the Caribbean and expanding Nato.
Of the seven eastern European countries joining Nato in May, only Romania signed a deal on the ICC.
The Bush administration is implacably opposed to the court, which it believes could be used to pursue politically inspired prosecutions by anti-American zealots.
Last year, Mr Bush withdrew America's signature, one of Bill Clinton's last acts as president, from the Treaty of Rome, which established the ICC and was ratified by more than 90 countries, including Britain.
That signalled the start of an intensive diplomatic campaign to cajole nearly 180 countries into signing Article 98s before the court opened for business yesterday.
The withdrawal of aid, enshrined in the American Service Members Protection Act of 2002, does not apply to the 19 current Nato members and to nine "major non-Nato allies".
12 June 2003: Judgment day looms for war crimes court
11 June 2003: US warns Europe it faces fight over war crimes court
10 August 2002: US tries to curb war crime court
12 July 2002: America drops war crime court immunity plea
1 July 2002: International court opens for business under shadow of US veto
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God bless,
Kindgo
Inside the will of God there is no failure. Outside the will of God there is no success.
Posts: 4320 | From: Sunny Florida | Registered: Jun 2002
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