Thread: U.S. Submission to the International Criminal Court

Do you think that the United States should ratify the Rome Statute and submit itself to the ICC?

The ICC's primary function is to prosecute the accused for "crimes against humanity." In recent years they've convicted numerous diplomats for harms agains their own people, namely the genocide in Darfur. If the US submitted jurisdiction to them, their authority would essentially allow them to prosecute soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan for human rights violations. Their authority does not extend to crimes committed domestically, but only internationally.

I suppose I'm nationalistic in my belief that the U.S. should not submit to the ICC. I think crimes committed by our soldiers are best handled by our own judicial system. Moreover, the ICC has a poor track record of enforcing its rulings. It relies on the UN Police Force to issue arrests, and as it may be presumed, they haven't arrested many people. And it has only convicted a few people since its inception in 2003.

110 countries have submitted jurisdiction to the court. Other countries which have not ratified the Rome Statute include China, India and Russia.

Of course the US should; what is it afraid of?

The right's riposte will be nothing more than paranoia and conspiracy-based fear of a one-world government.

I think it compromises U.S. autonomy.

Originally Posted by Chase

I think it compromises U.S. autonomy.

I don't think so. Why would 190 other nations sign on then?

The U.S. has a strange relationship with the U.N. We were instrumental in getting it going, but don't want it to actually use any kind of power around here. Doesn't make much sense.

Originally Posted by Sinopec

I don't think so. Why would 190 other nations sign on then?

Other countries aren't in the same position as the U.S. militarily. Should one of our soldiers commit a human rights violation, then I think we should reserve the right to handle it in our own judicial system rather than sign the rights off to another international body. The countries who have signed on aren't global superpowers; keep in mind other large countries like China, Russia and India have not signed on either.

China, Russia, and India have a reason; they have massive amounts of human rights violations.

The United States, one would think, wouldn't have to be afraid of that.

Originally Posted by Sinopec

China, Russia, and India have a reason; they have massive amounts of human rights violations.

The United States, one would think, wouldn't have to be afraid of that.

True, but I still don't think it wants to take any chances, especially when it's not under any heavy pressure to do so. We have no input on whom the ICC appoints as its judges, so it is a risky move.

I would rather not have the UN have any kind of jurisdiction over any facet of the US. Maybe I'm paranoid, but that many bureaucrats sticking their noses in our business can't be good.

And yes I know the US sticks it's nose in the business of every other country. But I don't like that either.