US Could Join International Criminal Court In 'As Soon As 20 Years'

[GreenPartyVoter]

LONDON - The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno-Ocampo created something of a stir at a London meeting when he said the United States can be expected to take 20 years to accept the court.

”I would expect the United States to join the court,” he said in response to a question at a meeting organized in London Thursday evening by Transparency International, an independent group that seeks to expose and fight corruption. ”In the long run if the court shows how useful it is, then in 20 years all countries will be a part of the court,” he said at the meeting held at the offices of the legal firm Clifford Chance.

So far 94 countries have accepted the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. The United States is an eminent exception. It has refused to accept purview of the court on the grounds that its soldiers serving abroad could face prosecution because of political motivations.

A delegate at the meeting said Moreno-Ocampo's pointer towards a 20-year wait for the United States to come to the court was not pleasing to hear

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0625-06.htm

[madrchsod]

1. have to wait until

the current crop of criminals are dead.....