Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: [Liberia] U.S. Seeks War Crimes Exemption for Liberia Peacekeepers

Un articolo interessante sulle implicazioni della missione di
peace-keeping in Liberia....
U.S. Seeks War Crimes Exemption for Liberia Peacekeepers 
Thalif Deen 
Washington is asking that if its peacekeepers are sent to Liberia they
be exempted from prosecution for war crimes in the International
Criminal Court (ICC). 
   The clause, included in a draft U.S. resolution proposed in the
United Nations Security Council, was condemned by the Coalition for
the ICC, an umbrella group that worked to establish the court earlier
this year. 
UNITED NATIONS, Jul 31 (IPS) - Washington is asking that if its
peacekeepers are sent to Liberia they be exempted from prosecution for
war crimes in the International Criminal Court (ICC). 
The clause, included in a draft U.S. resolution proposed in the United
Nations Security Council on Wednesday, was condemned by the Coalition
for the ICC, an umbrella group that worked to establish the court
earlier this year. 
''Insisting that peacekeeping forces should have immunity from
international law and crimes as a condition to enforce international
law is grotesque and irresponsible,'' said William R. Pace, convenor
of the Coalition, Thursday. 
''What is essential is to authorise international forces to enforce
the ceasefire and to begin to save the lives of civilians and allow
life to be breathed into a dying nation,'' he told reporters. 
Pace said that many members of the group believe that the reign of
violence and the criminal victimisation of civilian populations in
Liberia deserved international community protection thousands of lives
ago. 
Coalition members believe that government and rebel military forces
have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Liberia in
contravention of the Geneva Conventions, the Rome Statute of the ICC
and other international law, he added. 
''It is therefore particularly disturbing that the proposed Security
Council resolution from the United States government authorising a
multi-national force ... includes a provision that would also violate
these treaties and international laws,'' Pace said. 
The proposed U.N. force, which is expected to be approved by the
15-member Security Council next week, is not likely to move into
Liberia until the end of August or early September, primarily due to
logistical reasons. 
Since the deployment will be delayed, the Security Council is expected
to simultaneously approve the creation of a regional peacekeeping
force made up of troops from the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS). 
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told reporters Thursday that the
proposed U.S. clause on war crimes by peacekeepers has never been
included in U.N. peacekeeping resolutions. 
''Besides, my own view, is that the kind of crimes that we are talking
about have never occurred with U.N. peacekeepers -- they have never
been anywhere near there,'' said Annan. 
While Washington has been roundly condemned for not moving troops into
the West African nation sooner, non-government organisations (NGOs)
have criticised its draft resolution for various reasons. 
Nicola Reindorp, Oxfam's U.N. representative, said Thursday the
current draft risks being ''fatally flawed''. 
''If Liberia's civilians are to be effectively protected, the draft
resolution must be immediately amended." 
Reindorp said that simply providing peacekeepers with a mandate to use
force -- while critically important -- would mean little without clear
and specific parameters on how that force should be applied. 
''Peacekeeping missions risk failure when commanders do not have
explicit Security Council directions about the steps they must take to
adequately protect civilians,'' she said. ''The people of Liberia
can't afford a vague mandate that lacks any guideposts for measuring
success.'' 
Despite a public plea by Annan that the peacekeeping force in Liberia
be led by the United States, U.S. President George W. Bush has
indicated he will provide only logistical and financial support for
such a U.N. mission. 
''Any commitments we make would be limited in size and limited in
tenure,'' Bush told reporters in mid-July. 
The Washington-based Heritage Foundation, which has close political
and ideological ties to the White House, warned the Bush
administration last week to keep away from Liberia. 
''U.S. troops, who are trained and equipped to fight and win wars,
don't make good peacekeepers,'' wrote Heritage analyst Jack Spencer. 
He said that a Liberian mission ''could drain hundreds of millions of
dollars from the defence budget, and jeopardise other important
national security requirements''. 
Spencer described peacekeeping operations as ''quagmires that cost
more than expected, especially when measured in American blood, and
usually achieve very little in the long run''. 
The 1,500-strong ECOWAS contingent, led by Nigeria, is hampered by
financial and logistical problems even before it can get off the
ground. 
Washington, which is spending about 3.9 billion dollars every month in
its military occupation of Iraq, has offered only 10 million dollars
to the force, which will also include troops from Senegal, Mali and
Ghana. 
At a U.N. press conference Wednesday, Annan told reporters that West
African leaders had made it clear that they would be prepared to send
in troops only if they received financial and logistical support. 
The nations have two battalions ready to go probably by early next
week. ''From what I gather,'' said Annan, ''discussions are going on
for them to get some assistance.'' 
Annan said the Nigerians have complained that the 10 million dollars
offered by Washington is ''not enough''. 
In anticipation of the problem, he told the Security Council last week
that he should be authorised to advance money from U.N. peacekeeping
funds to support the ECOWAS force. But the Council has not responded. 
Annan is also planning to move at least one battalion from the U.N.
mission in neighbouring Sierra Leone, which has troop strength of over
13,000, to Liberia. 
The United States has also warned that its support will be conditioned
on the departure of Liberian leader Charles Taylor before peacekeeping
troops arrive in Monrovia. 
Washington has two warships off the coast of Monrovia with a
contingent of marines ready to evacuate Americans and foreigner. 
In a report released Thursday, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said stocks of food and fuel appear to be
diminishing, making the situation critical in the Liberian capital. 
OCHA said there were also reports of looting of commercial food
stocks. ''The whereabouts of 9,000 tons of food in a U.N. World Food
Programme warehouse remained unknown, and fuel shortages severely
hampered the ability of humanitarian agencies to truck water supplies
to those in need.'' (END)



13,000, to Liberia.
Ottima idea :)
-Stefano

*LOL*
Chiedilo al giornalista *LOL*...

Chiedilo al giornalista *LOL*...
Al limite dovrei chiederlo a Pace che ha fatto l'affermazione :))
*ROTFL*
Oppure a te che ti ritieni cosi' esperto di diritto internazionale :))
*LOL*
-Stefano

*LOL*
Chiedilo al giornalista o a chiunque ti apre...

Chiedilo al giornalista o a chiunque ti apre...
Allora lo chiedo a te, che ti ritieni cosi' esperto di diritto
internazionale :)))
*LOL*
-Stefano

*LOL*
l'articolo non l'ho scritto io e quindi non ne rispondo...

l'articolo non l'ho scritto io e quindi non ne rispondo...
Non devi averlo scritto tu per poter rispondere alla domanda su quale
legge internazionale avrebbe o meno infranto :)))
*LOL*
-Stefano

*LOL*
Chiedilo al giornalista

Chiedilo al giornalista
Io l'ho chiesto a te :)  Il giornalista non si e' mai vantato di
conoscere il diritto internazionale a differenza di te :)))
*LOL*
Allora?  Sai dire o no quale legge internazionale avrebbe infranto o la
tua grande conoscenza di diritto internazionale e' solo fumo? :)
*LOL*
-Stefano

*LOL*
Chiedilo al giornalista
Socio del Luigino Fans Club. Tessera n° 0094.

 ha scritto nel messaggio
news:3pu9jvkb4idnp0au3...@4ax.com...
[cut]
Caro Polymita,
naturalmente sei libero di fare quel che vuoi, ma vorrei sottoporre alla tua
attenzione il fatto che sei rimasto tu solo ad alimentare la psicosi di De
Cesari. Uno legge che ci sono (poniamo) una ventina di msg, su IPI, e poi
constata che si tratta delle consuete noiosissime formulette del povero SdC
e delle (tue) risposte ad un tizio che (in età presumibilmente adulta)
risponde all'interlocutore (ad ogni interlocutore) con frasi come "disse il
bue all'asino" o "se lo dici tu". Ora, cadere per una volta nella trappola
dell'idiota può capitare (ed anch'io sono colpevole in questo senso), ma
perseverare è diabolico. Ti dà proprio tanto fastidio che quel poveretto
possa scrivere che sei "senza argomenti", ed avere così l'ultima parola? Ma
un po' di carità cristiana verso chi è già tanto sfortunato, cosa ti costa?
Tanto, quello vive in un mondo tutto suo: non lo sradicherai dal suo
autismo. Torna a discutere con i sani, please, e facci risparmiare sul
collegamento. Grazie & shalom.
Namib

collegamento. Grazie & shalom.
P.S. per il collegamento basta che ignori i tread in cui rispondo al
SdC... 


Chiedilo al giornalista
Non sei in grado di dirlo e la tua conoscenza del diritto internazionale
e' solo fumo :))) Ne prendo atto assieme a tutti gli utenti del ng :))
*LOL*
-Stefano

*LOL*
Prendine pure atto e facci quello che vuoi ... dopo che uno mi dice
che Saddam è ancora il presidente dell'Iraq e che c'era un governo
legittimo afgano in esilio durante i talebani non c'è bisogno di
aggiungere altro...


non c'č bisogno di aggiungere altro...
Infatti :)
-Stefano

Non lo dico io. Lo dice la comunita' internazionale :)
dimostralo...


dimostralo...
Gia' fatto! :))
E' inutile che mi fai ripetere le stesse cose 100 volte come invece
piace tanto fare a te quando non sai rispondere :)))
*LOL*
-Stefano