In a gain for supporters of the ICC, the U.S. Senate has voted to
drop the American Servicemembers Protection Act, Jesse Helms
anti-ICC amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill,
which had passed 78-21 on December 7. Helms amendment had:
- Blocked
U.S. aid to allies unless they signed accords to keep soldiers
on their territory from being turned over to the ICC;
- Authorized
"any necessary action" to free U.S. soldiers detained
by the ICC;
- Prohibited
the U.S. from sharing classified information with the ICC, or
even lending legal cooperation.
On
December 20, after days and nights of intense committee work, the
Senate adopted a much milder amendment sponsored by Representative
Henry Hyde (R, Illinois), which only restricts the use of U.S. funds
to support or negotiate with the ICC during the 2002 fiscal year.
Congress is expected to vote on the Hyde amendment this week. The
turn-around vote is attributed to mobilization on the part of human
rights organizations, NGOs, grassroots groups, and congressional
members and staff.
The
issue is far from settled, however, because the State Department
Authorization Act comes up before Congress in the spring, and Senator
Helms is expected to offer yet another draconian amendment barring
U.S. participation in the ICC. The White House is also expected
to have completed its own review of the International Criminal Court
and to issue some, at least provisional, statement of policy.
The International Criminal Court is expected to be up and running
in The Hague in the first half of 2002.
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