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War Crimes Trials Unlikely for Israel or Hamas

(Scotsman-UK) Chris Stephen - Three months ago, the UN General Assembly told both Hamas and Israel that unless they launch their own investigations of war crimes allegations relating to Gaza, it would call for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to do the job instead. But the chances of the ICC being ordered into action are slight. The UN General Assembly is unable to order a war crimes investigation by the ICC. Only the Security Council can do that, and that is almost certainly not going to happen. The U.S. fears that an investigation by the ICC will derail any chances of starting a new Middle East peace process. Certainly, it is hard to see how meaningful negotiations could start among statesmen under threat of war crimes indictment. The result is that the U.S. will veto any vote on the ICC that comes before the Security Council - and it will not be alone. At least three of the permanent members, Britain, France and Russia, are likely to take the same line, and for the same reasons, blocking any move in the Security Council.
2010-02-02 07:50:05
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