Cape Times

Court not worth it

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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

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