Germany and France want US held liable for ‘war crimes’

Germany and France want American servicemen and their leaders to be liable for ‘war crimes’ charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Although neither country presently has a criminal complaint against the US, both have been behind a European Union initiative that has earned sharp rebukes from Washington.

Berlin and Paris want to deny American peacekeeping troops (to say nothing of US troops on military missions) protections from frivolous or politically motivated prosecutions by third governments, though the EU as a whole has supported exempting US forces from extradition to the ICC. Gaullist France and the Socialist government of Germany have been threatening to deny EU membership to smaller, poorer countries that side with the United States.

President Bill Clinton committed the US to abide by the ICC, but President George W. Bush rescinded the US signature and pledged that he would never bring ICC membership before the Senate for ratification. The US has signed bilateral agreements with 37 countries that had ratified the ICC, in which signatories would not turn over American personnel to the court.

Despite French and German opposition, the UN Security Council is expected to vote Thursday to extend exemption of American forces from ICC prosecutions.