U.S. SEEKS EXEMPTION FOR PEACEKEEPERS FROM THE ICC

The United States has requested another UN Security Council resolution granting many United Nations peacekeepers immunity from the International Criminal Court. The resolution renews the exemption granted in the previous two years under Resolutions 1422 and 1487, first achieved in a showdown in which the U.S. vetoed the Bosnia peacekeeping mission and threatened to veto all UN peacekeeping missions until its demands were met.

This year, France, Germany, Spain and Brazil have said they will abstain on a new extension - and Romania and Benin might follow suit. That would still give the United States the minimum nine "yes" votes for adoption, and Romania indicated it would not allow the resolution to be defeated. The 94 countries that have ratified the 1998 Rome Treaty maintain it contains enough safeguards to prevent frivolous prosecutions, despite the Bush administration’s concerns.

The U.S. call for the renewal of the resolution comes at a bad time, once again projecting the administration as bullying its allies and other world powers to seek special measures for American abroad.

The UN Security Council is set to vote on the resolution in an open debate this week.

+ Citizens for Global Solutions press release
+ UNSC Resolutions regarding the ICC


ADMINISTRATION'S IRAQ POLICY UNDER FIRE

President Bush was under fire today for poor planning, underestimation of the post-war power vacuum in Iraq and a lack of overall strategy, by retired Marine General Anthony C. Zinni, with the release of his book “Battle Ready”.

The critique comes ahead of a presidential speech set to outline the administration’s latest strategy for Iraq at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pa., to be televised at 8 p.m. today (May 24). General Zinni has stated that over 300,000 troops are needed to pacify Iraq, despite lower estimations by the Pentagon.

Also this week, Secretary of State Colin Powell has been working hard to secure a UN resolution which would expand the involvement of the United Nations in Iraq and also call for international donations and troops. The move to seek greater UN collaboration comes at a time when President Bush is seeing his lowest approval ratings of his presidency.

+ More on General Zinni’s book, The Washington Post
+ Forming the new Iraq government, The New York Times
+ Global Solutions Action Alert: Torture in Iraq

NEW UN PEACEKEEPING MISSION ANNOUNCED FOR BURUNDI

The United Nations Security Council announced a new 5,650-strong peacekeeping mission with a chapter 7 mandate for Burundi. The new operation will incorporate the bulk of the 2,700 troops from South Africa, Mozambique and Ethiopia already in Burundi under the auspices of the African Union. Pakistan and Nepal will supplement the military contingents, which will stay under South African command. Canadian Carolyn McAskie, a humanitarian specialist, has been named U.N. representative to supervise the operation.

The 5,650 includes 120 civilian police and political personnel, who are to train a new police force and help with a constitution and elections, expected by Oct. 31. The new mission is called the U.N. Operation in Burundi, or ONUB, its French acronym.

This mission brings the number of current UN missions around the world up to 16, with 53,000 personnel serving worldwide.

+ UN Security Council Resolution 1545
+ More on the new mission

Updated May 24, 2004