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NSN Daily Update: A Good Week for International Law
Last week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) sought the indictment of Sudanese President Omar Bashir for his leadership in the mass killings in Darfur. The ICC prosecutor’s request for anarrest warrant for Bashir was the first time the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court had brought genocide charges against anyone, and the first time the prosecutor had brought charges against a sitting head ofstate since the court opened. Proponents argue that the indictment process opens a short window of increased pressure on Bashir to negotiate; opponents including the African Union and the Arab League have urged the United Nations Security Council to postpone this action. [NY Times, 7/15/08. NY Times, 7/22/08]
Since it began operations in 2003, the ICC has made “notable progress in bringing justice for the worst crimes despite mistakes in policy and practice.” According to Human Rights Watch’s recent report, “Courting History: The Landmark International Criminal Court’s First Years,” the ICC has made good progress, despite some missteps. “The International Criminal Court has made real headway in bringing justice to the victims of horrible abuses in theface of daunting obstacles,” said Richard Dicker, International Justice Program director at Human Rights Watch. “But the court should tackle real shortcomings so that its work resonates in the communities most affected by major international crimes.” [Human Rights Watch, 7/11/08]
Quick Hits Prime Minister Maliki’s office again reiterated yesterday his position that American combat troops should leave Iraq by 2010. Furthermore,Dan Balz notesin the Washington Post that, including a quasi-endorsement of Obama’s Iraq policy by the Iraqi government, “the events of the past few days have played unfailingly in the Democrat's favor.”
John McCain yesterday claimed that Iraq and Pakistan share a border. In fact, the countries are approximately 1500 miles apart and are separated byIran and Afghanistan, two countries with significant claims on the attention of an American President.
Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s beleaguered president, and the leader of the opposition Morgan Tsvangirai met to “chart a new way”. Their appearance in a decade resulted in an agreement which it is hoped will end political strife in the country.
The judge in charge of the military trial of Osama Bin Laden’s driver excluded some evidence obtained through coercive measures.
In an Op-Ed, Anthony Cordesman urged the United States to take on a larger role in helping develop Palestinian security forces asa necessary element of Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.
Barack Obama has landed in Jordan, where he will meet with King Abdullah.He plans to continue on to Israel.