The International Criminal Court and the US

On her first stop of her African trip, in Nairobi, Kenya, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was asked by a student -during a town hall meeting- how the US could support having the international court intervene in Kenya’s problems when the country was not a member of the International Criminal Court. Mrs Clinton responded by saying that it was “a great regret” that the United States was not a member. This goes a long way. While Mrs Clinton husband Bill Clinton was president of the US he signed the treaty setting up the International Criminal Court in December 2000 even though he said he was concerned about “significant flaws.” But he never submit it to Congress for ratification. Months later, with the Bush administration in power, the signature was withdrawn. Later on the Obama administration has not joined the court. This is a matter which they might -the current administration- be leery about bringing it up as not only the Pentagon is reluctant to get into it but also there is a large number of Americans who oppose it. The following comment to an article in the Washington Post demonstrates it amply:
“Hey Clinton - did you forget that we are sovereign nation? Our Constitution IS our one and only law. Don’t EVER foget that! DON”Y YOU EVER SUGGEST that we will submit to International Criminal Courts! Did you ever think about how those laws are based? You are a disgrace to even suggest that it will be considered. I quarantee you, any US Representative who votes to ratify this “treaty” will be voted out in the next election cycle. Quaranteed.”
And some politicians probably still listen to that kind of talk!