„We are just different!“
The International Criminal Court and the American ANGST14th of november 2006
A Deutschlandfunk production
Feature Programme
(duration: 45 minutes; audio excerpt: 2´50)
Rome, 17th of july 1998: Just before midnight 120 States sign the Charta to establish the „International Criminal Court“ (ICC). The hall bursts with cries of joy, the tension gives way to cheers, hugging and tears. The dream of a World Court, which is supposed to prosecute perpetrators of the gravest „international crimes“ has become reality. Only the members of the US-american delegation sit silent and with the heads lowered. Even today it is painful for David Scheffer, chief negotiator for the ICC of the Clinton Administration, to talk about this night. This night set the stage for the US attitude towards the World Court in The Hague: Today the USA are the most vocal opponents of the Court. Why this opposition to the World Court? Will continued opposition be justifiable? Since four years the Court is operational, the first arrest warrants have been issued, the first defendant has arrived in The Hague. Time to strike a balance between the conflicting points of view.
