Opposing the US position, Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the UN Security Council on Thursday not to shield US peacekeepers once again from international prosecution for war crimes.
Annan cited the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US forces in opposing a US resolution calling for the blanket exemption for a third straight year.
The US introduced the resolution last month but has delayed calling for a vote. Despite intensive lobbying, Washington doesn't have the minimum nine "yes" votes on the 15-member council to approve a new exemption, council diplomats said.
The current exemption expires on June 30.
US President George W. Bush's administration argues that the International Criminal Court -- which started operating last year -- could be used for frivolous or politically motivated prosecutions of US troops.
The 94 countries that have ratified the 1998 Rome Treaty establishing the court, maintain it contains enough safeguards to prevent frivolous prosecutions.
This year, human rights groups argue that another US exemption is even more unjustified in the wake of the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal. And council nations that support the court say nobody should be exempt.
Annan supported both arguments.
"For the past two years, I have spoken quite strongly against the exemption, and I think it would be unfortunate for one to press for such an exemption, given the prisoner abuse in Iraq," he told reporters on Thursday.
"It would be even more unwise on the part of the Security Council to grant it. It would discredit the council and the United Nations, that stands for rule of law," Annan said. "Blanket exemption is wrong. It is of dubious judicial value, and I don't think it should be encouraged by the council."
Besides seeking another year's exemption from arrest or prosecution of US peacekeepers, Washington has signed bilateral agreements with 89 countries that bar any prosecution of US officials by the court and is seeking more such treaties.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
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