UN Defers Vote to Shield U.S. from Global Court

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UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Security Council has indefinitely delayed plans to take up a U.S. draft resolution shielding American peacekeepers from prosecution by a new global criminal court, a U.S. diplomat said on Tuesday.

The vote was called off on Friday after China's U.N. envoy said he had no instructions from Beijing, and Monday passed with no word on rescheduling.

"It's been deferred," U.S. envoy Stuart Holliday told reporters on Tuesday, adding that no new date had been set.

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Richard Dicker of New York-based Human Rights Watch said the fresh delay meant the measure was "in deep trouble."

http://news.findlaw.com/news/s/20040525/uncourtusadc.html

OK, so this story's over a week old--the media dropped it like a hot potato. The bottom line is this: if the international community can stall for 27 more days, Bush and Friends may be eligible to be prosecuted by an ICC tribunal.

China has refused to be intimidated by the US. "We find it difficult to say 'yes' to this resolution," (Chinese UN Ambassador Wang) Guangya said. He told Reuters the U.S. abuse of Iraqi prisoners raised the need for "strict observance of international law."

C'mon DUers--let Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya know you support their efforts to let no one off the hook!

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