US exempts Belize from ICC sanctions

Thursday, January 1, 2004

CRAWFORD, USA (AFP): US President George W. Bush on Tuesday waived restrictions on military aid to Belize because it has exempted US soldiers from prosecution by the International Criminal Court.

In a memorandum for US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Bush noted that the country has signed what is known as an Article 98 agreement sparing US military personnel on its territory from ICC prosecution.

US law mandates the suspension of military assistance from most ICC member nations that have not signed such accords.

Washington -- which vehemently opposes the ICC, the world's first permanent tribunal for war crimes and crimes against humanity -- has waged a worldwide campaign to ink immunity pacts since the court came into being in July 2002.

The United States fears the court could become a forum for politically motivated prosecutions of US citizens, especially soldiers deployed abroad.

As of mid-October, it had signed Article 98 agreements with more than 65 countries, according to the State Department.

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