Court not worth it

THERE has been considerable reaction and comment about the South African government’s decision to withdraw its membership to the International Criminal Court. An organisation to which, incidentally, the US has yet to ratify its membership.

However, not much has been said about the ICC itself. This is an organisation that has been heavily politicised. Firstly, the ICC is under the authority of the Security Council, where the US can exercise its veto power to stop any prosecution of crimes it opposes. Failing to secure impunity for aggression through the Security Council, the US insisted on an amendment preventing the court from exercising that jurisdiction until seven eighths of ratifying states agree on a definition of aggression and the means by which it could be prosecuted.

Only politicians could appreciate such torturous prevarication.

So then there has been no problem for the “indispensable nation” and their “coalition of the willing” waging humanitarian wars and regime change in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, et al. The death toll (hundreds of thousands of civilians), the misery and destruction of these countries must be considered unfortunate collateral damage.

War crimes of any sort should be deplored. However, if the racist targeting of weak, defenceless and largely African countries to the exclusion of gross acts of criminality by the US and their allies is what the ICC is about, then it is an organisation not worthy of the name. Brian van der Vijver Cape Town