DeLay Cuts Aid to American Allies

[Keirsey]

The AP reports (see below) that House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is working hard to gut the International Criminal Court, while hurting American allies.

DeLay helped win House approval today for a bill that would cut off U.S. economic assistance to countries that refuse to play by Republicans’ rules. Republicans inserted a provision in a foreign aid bill that allows assistance only to countries that agree not to surrender Americans to the Court for prosecution of war crimes.

http://www.takingontomdelay.com/

U.S. House wants aid cut to countries that hand Americans to war crime courts

11:10 AM EDT Jul 25
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. economic aid could only flow to countries that have agreed not to surrender Americans to a world court for prosecution of war crimes, under a measure the U.S. House of Representatives approved Thursday.

The 241-166 vote by the Republican-controlled chamber expanded the current prohibition on military aid to such countries.

The target of the amendment was the International Criminal Court, which began operating last year in The Hague, Netherlands. It is a permanent court that is supposed to enter cases involving genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity when the countries involved cannot work out a solution on their own.

"If these countries want to receive money from the United States, it's simple" - sign an agreement not to turn over Americans, said Representative George Nethercutt, a Washington state Republican, the provision's sponsor.

Nethercutt received backing from House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a longtime critic of the court.

DeLay called the tribunal "Kofi Annan's kangaroo court," a reference to the United Nations secretary general...

Representative Nita Lowey a New York Democrat, said the proposal would have "a sweeping and devastating impact." She and other opponents warned if enacted, the prohibition would eliminate or curtail aid to many countries, including Jordan, Turkey, South Africa, Kenya, Mexico and Peru.

"I don't see how that helps us in the war against terrorism," said Representative Jim Kolbe, n Arizona Republican.

About 90 countries have signed agreements with the United States, pledging they will not surrender Americans to the court.

This is a Canadian report

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/040715/w071572.html


Might not Cheney and/or Rumsfield be charged with war crimes for complicity in the Iraqi torture scandal?

Yet while most Congressional Republicans are standing alongside their Democratic colleagues in expressing outrage and pursuing full investigations into the recent torture of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers, U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay doesn't think Congressional hearings are needed: "But a full-fledged congressional investigation, that is like saying we need an investigation every time there is police brutality on the street."

Tom DeLay further minimizes the Iraqi abuse (described by other lawmakers as "gruesome," "horrifying", and "sadistic") by calling public reaction a mere political game (from the AP wire):

http://www.takingontomdelay.com/archives/000008.html