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 Administration
Advocacy |
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The Washington Working Group for the ICC (WICC)
is the center of ICC advocacy efforts in Washington,
D.C. Information on action directed at the administration
and the congress can be found on the WICC
website.
USA for ICC
is a website dedicated to building US support for the International
Criminal Court (ICC). Its site provides ICC advocacy tools,
including a click-and send feature that makes it easy to share
your views with elected officials.
Please send us copies of
letters you have sent to the administration and its responses
so that we can include them in this section.
President George W. Bush
- Position on the Court: The Bush administration does not support the ICC and has worked actively to weaken the Court's efforts. Not only did the administration suspend the US signature on the Rome Statute, the White House is currently conducting a vigorous campaign to conclude bilateral immunity agreements to remove US nationals from the reach of the Court.
- Statements:
- "In the middle of a war, Senator Kerry is proposing policies and doctrines that would weaken America and make the world more dangerous. He's proposed the Kerry doctrine, which would paralyze America by subjecting our national security decisions to a global test. He supports the International Criminal Court, where unaccountable foreign prosecutors could put American troops on trial in front of foreign judges." President's Radio Address, October 9, 2004
- "I made a decision not to join the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which is where our troops could be brought to -- brought in front of a judge, an unaccounted judge. I don't think we ought to join that. That was unpopular. And so, what I'm telling you is, is that sometimes in this world you make unpopular decisions because you think they're right... You don't want to join the International Criminal Court just because it's popular in certain capitals in Europe." 2004 Presidential Debate, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, October 8, 2004.
- "The Kerry doctrine has other consequences, especially for our men and women in uniform. The Senator from Massachusetts supports the International Criminal Court which would allow unaccountable foreign prosecutors and judges to put American soldiers on trial. And that would be a legal nightmare for our troops. My fellow citizens, as long as I'm your President, Americans in uniform will answer to the officers and laws of the United States, not to the International Criminal Court in The Hague." Victory Rally, Wausau, Wisconsin, October 6, 2004.
- "I think it would be bad for our troops to have to be, you know, facing an unaccountable prosecutor in a foreign land for decisions that the commander in chief made. Listen, if somebody does something wrong in our country, we've got plenty of justice, and we don't need to be signing up for a federal--international court. My opponent would join the International Criminal Court." "Ask President Bush" Event in Clive, Iowa, October 4, 2004.
- "My opponent talks about me not signing certain treaties. But let me tell
you one thing I didn't sign -- and I think it shows a difference of our
opinion, the difference opinions -- and that is I wouldn't join the
International Criminal Court. This is a body based in The Hague where
unaccountable judges and prosecutors could pull our troops, our diplomats up
for trial. And I wouldn't join it. And I understand that in certain capitals
around the world that that wasn't a popular move. But it's the right move,
not to join a foreign court that could -- where our people could be
prosecuted. My opponent is for joining the International Criminal Court. I
just think trying to be popular kind of in the global sense, if it's not in
our best interest makes no sense. I'm interested in working with other
nations, and do a lot of it. But I'm not going to make decisions that I think
are wrong for America." 2004 Presidential Debate, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, September 30, 2004.
- "Submission to the jurisdiction of the ICC would put our troops and officials at unacceptable risk of politically motivated prosecutions. For this reason, when President Clinton signed the ICC treaty, he explicitly stated that the treaty would have to be altered significantly before the United States could consider joining it. The reforms necessary to protect our troops have not yet been instituted, and until they are, no president should consider sending the treaty to the Senate for ratification. I believe that every country is obligated to take action against persons subject to their jurisdiction who violate fundamental forms of international law. Where countries are not able to do so, specific international tribunals can be formed to hold individuals to account, like in The Hague tribunal that is now hearing the prosecution of Slobodan Milosevic. We are now working with countries around the world to sign Article 98 agreements. These agreements, allowed under the Rome Statute, would protect U.S. nationals by not allowing them to be surrendered to the ICC without the consent of the U.S. government. I believe this solution will provide needed protections for our personnel while respecting other countries’ desire to join the ICC." ABA Journal, Campaign statement on behalf of George Bush, October 2004.
- "I'm against the International Court... I didn't join the International Criminal Court because I don't want to put our troops in the hands of prosecutors from other nations. Look, if somebody has done some wrong in our military, we'll take care of it. We got plenty of capability of dealing with justice. "Ask President Bush" Event at Okaloosa-Walton College, Niceville, Florida, August 10, 2004.
- "We hail the actions of President Bush and the Republican Congress to ensure that our nation's efforts to meet our global security commitments and protect Americans are not impaired by the potential for investigations, inquiry, or prosecution by the International Criminal Court, whose jurisdiction we do not accept as extending to Americans. We support full implementation of the American Servicemembers Protection Act, whose provisions are intended to ensure and enhance the protection of U.S. personnel and officials." 2004 Republican Party Platform.
- "We'll try to work out the impasse, but the one thing we're not going to do is sign on to this International Criminal Court. President Clinton signed this treaty, but when he signed it he said it should not be submitted to the Senate. It therefore never has been, and I don't intend to submit it either." US Mission to the EU, July 2, 2003.
- "We will take the actions necessary to ensure that our efforts to meet our global security commitments and protect Americans are not impaired by the potential for investigations, inquiry, or prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC), whose jurisdiction does not extend to Americans and which we do not accept." National Security Strategy, September 17, 2002.
USA for ICC
is dedicated to building US support for the International
Criminal Court (ICC) in order to bring to justice criminals
responsible for mass murder, genocide and war crimes when
nations will not or cannot. The site was created to generate
grassroots support for the ICC and make it easy for supporters
to communicate with their elected officials.
Signature suspension
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Letter
from 45 members of Congress to President Bush on May 23,
2002, expressing opposition to the renunciation of
the US signature on the Rome Statute |
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Letter
from Robert E. Hirshon, President of the ABA to President
Bush, April 11, 2002, on the occasion of the 60th
ratification, in support of the ICC and opposing "unsigning" the Rome Statute |
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Letter
from Evan A. Davis, Office of the President of the Association
of the Bar of the City of New York to Pres. Bush, April
10, 2002, on the occasion of the 60th ratification,
in support of the ICC and opposing "unsigning" the Rome Statute |
Requesting support for the ICC
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Letter
sent to President Bush from the president of the Association
of the Bar of the City of New York (ABCNY) on the
occasion of the ICC inauguration ceremony in the Hague
and the swearing in of the first 18 judges, March 11,
2003 |
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Letter
sent to President Clinton from Representatives of Faith-Based
Groups and Organizations, December 20, 2000 |
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Excerpt
from letter from National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is
of the United States to Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs Samuel Berger, October 21,
1999 |
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Excerpt
from letter from Lutheran Office for Government Affairs
& Lutheran Office for World Community, ELCA to President
for National Security Affairs Samuel Berger, October
8, 1999 |
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Excerpt
from letter from Maryknoll Missioners to President Clinton |
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Letter
from National Council of the Churches of Christ in the
USA to President Clinton, July 8, 1998 |
Sample letters requesting support for the ICC
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