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U.N. Hopes U.S. Won't Pull Peace Forces
Secretary-General Kofi Annan says he hopes the United States will not withdraw from peacekeeping operations after its failure to win an exemption from international prosecution for war crimes. The United States abandoned the effort Wednesday after Annan urged the Security Council not to go along. It was a major retreat for Washington in its fight against the International Criminal Court and a rare intervention by the U.N. chief. "I think the outcome was a good one for the council, and I think also for the Americans," Annan told a news conference on Friday. The secretary-general had raised "serious doubts" about the legality of an exemption and warned against dividing the Security Council. He had said a new exemption "would be a very unfortunate signal to send at any time — but particularly at this time." Washington argues that the court could be used for frivolous or politically motivated prosecutions of American troops. When the court was formally established on July 1, 2002, the United States threatened to end its involvement in far-flung peacekeeping operations established or authorized by the United Nations if it didn't get an exemption for American peacekeepers.
Posted by: Fred 2004-06-26 |
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