Why is the U.S. Afraid of the International Criminal Court

Abstract

This paper will examine the possible implications of the International Criminal Court. The International Criminal Court established a permanent Court in the Hague to investigate and prosecute individuals, not states, who commit the crimes of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity (the crime of aggression will be added possibly in 2009 if and when a definition is agreed upon). The UN states that the establishment of such a court will serve as a deterrent to individuals to such crimes in the future. The UN argues that individuals almost never are held accountable for their actions no matter how horrific the crimes may be. The concept behind the establishment of the ICC is certainly valid, individuals must be held accountable and punished for the crimes they commit and a permanent international court does have its merits. The statute, in its current form, is a document that has far reaching implications for the United States and the members of its Armed Forces. Even with the concerns of the United States, I feel that the US should be a signatory to this court.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 25, 2008
Accession Number
ADA481367

Entities

People

  • Jeffrey Wiley

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Criminals
  • Education
  • Foreign Relations
  • Governments
  • Human Rights
  • Humanities
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • Law
  • Military Assistance
  • Military Education
  • Second World War
  • Security
  • Treaties
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Criminal Law
  • Strategic Security Studies