Mexico Challenges U.S. on Protection of UN Workers(Internat'l Crim. Court)

[papau]

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-iraq-un-mexico.html

Mexico Challenges U.S. on Protection of UN Workers
By REUTERS


Filed at 1:11 a.m. ET
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Challenging the United States, Mexico scheduled a Security Council vote for Tuesday on the protection of U.N. workers, opposed by Washington because of a reference to the International Criminal Court....The Mexican draft, co-sponsored by France, Germany, Russia, Bulgaria and Syria, was first circulated in April and then revived last week after the disastrous bombing of U.N. headquarters in Baghdad on Aug. 19.

The action has put the United States in a difficult position. Vetoing or even abstaining on the resolution so soon after 23 people were killed in the bombing would be difficult to explain, diplomats said. The resolution's preamble recalls that attacks against humanitarian workers constitute a war crime under the statutes of the International Criminal Court, which was inaugurated in March and is strongly supported by the European Union.<snip>

``Of course, we fully appreciate the need for protection of humanitarian workers and the provision of access necessary for workers to carry out that type of work,'' Reeker said.
Referring to the court, he said, ``We're concerned that the language discussing that in the resolution is unnecessary.''

But Mexico's U.N. ambassador, Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, said the other 14 council members supported the draft. He said the fact the International Criminal Court made intentional attacks on humanitarian workers a war crime was essential to the text.
The Bush administration opposes the new court, set up to try perpetrators of the world's most heinous crimes, as an infringement of U.S. sovereignty and a potential venue for frivolous lawsuits against U.S. officials abroad. But the 91 nations that have ratified the treaty argue the court has enough safeguards to protect nations against politically motivated prosecutions.<snip>

Mexico, Russia, Cameroon, Syria, Angola and Chile have signed but not ratified the treaty. The Bush administration rescinded the U.S. signature and China and Pakistan have not signed.

[Spazito]

1. Go Mexico!

Make Bush and his thugs put their whistle asses on record!

[otohara]

2. Dupe - Locking

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=83236