(Hier handelt es sich um einen Antrag des American Servicemembers Protection' Act, über den schon im September 2001 im US-Senat abgestimmt werden sollte. Er ist so enorm, daß man kaum glaubt, daß er überhaupt ernst gemeint ist. Tatsächlich wird das Anliegen jedoch von zahlreichen Senatoren unterstützt. Im Dezember 2001 wurde dieser Antrag schließlich im Senat angenommen.- Anbei ein Brief von der Koaltion für den Internationalen Strafgerichtshof).

 In a letter of September 25th 2001, the State Department states that
 " the Administration supports the revised text of the American
 Servicemembers Protection' Act, ASPA, proposed by Senator Mr. Hyde and Mr.
 Delay. We commit to support enactment of the revised bill without further
 amendment and to oppose alternative legislative proposals".

The revised version of the bill withholds approval of ASPA with payment of
 the US back dues to the United Nations. The bill may be considered for a
 full Senate vote on Monday 1 or Tuesday 2 of October.

We urge you to take the necessary political steps (high level demarches) to
call on the US Administration to withdraw this support for ASPA.
Key provisions of ASPA:

 - No US government entity may cooperate with the ICC.
 - No agent of the ICC may conduct any investigative activity in the US.
 - The President shall ensure that all UN Security Council resolutions
 authorising peacekeeping operations permanently exempt members of the US
 armed forces from prosecution of the ICC.
 - The US may not participate in peacekeeping missions unless the President
 certifies to Congress that US military personnel have been excepted from ICC
 prosecution.
 - The President is authorized to use all means necessary and appropriate
 to bring about the release from captivity of US or allied personnel detained
 or imprisoned against their will by or on behalf of the Court, including
 military force. This includes the Netherlands, ICC host country, but also
 any other state that detains a criminal on behalf of the ICC.
- No classified national security information can be transferred to the ICC
 or to state parties to the ICC.
 - The US will withhold any military assistance from countries that ratify
 the ICC. The legislation exempts NATO countries and major non-NATO allies.

 As we stated following the 11th of September terrorist attacks in the US, we
 believe that it clearly demonstrated the need for enhanced international
 cooperation in outlawing, investigating and extraditing, and, thus, the ICC
 is a step in the right direction.
 

 Ms. Irune Aguirrezabal Quijera
 European Coordinator
 Coalition for the International Criminal Court

 Rue Montoyer 6, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
 (phone)322.5026215  (fax)322.5026238 (mobile) 32 475 36 00 07
 cicceurope@iccnow.org   website: www.iccnow.org
 Convenor: William R.Pace
 

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