tp50.xml
Title
tp50.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2003-02-24
TomPaine Story: Story
"Towards a More Perfect Union"
"Contempt of Court: Why is the Bush Administration so desperately opposed to the new International Criminal Court?"
As we approach the first anniversary date of September 11, we can expect a tsunami of American media hype about how America has changed since 9-11, 2001. Unfortunately, though, we can expect far less attention to be paid to how much America's relationship with Europe has changed since September 12, 2001. On September 12, the European member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization showed their sympathy and solidarity with America by invoking Article 5 of the NATO treaty, and declaring that the attack on America was an attack on every country in the NATO alliance. By invoking the treaty, Europe's governments declared their willingness to fight alongside America in the coming struggle.
Eleven months later, the alliance between the U.S and Europe seems vastly weaker than it did on September 12. And though there are many points of disagreement between the U.S. and Europe, ranging from Kyoto to steel tariffs to capital punishment, the single most divisive disagreement involves the new International Criminal Court.
To see the extraordinary change in the U.S.-European relationship since
September 12, consider the story which appeared in the August 26, 2002 edition of the New York Times. ""U.S. Issues Warning to Europeans in Dispute over New Court"" describes how the United States is trying to pressure European nations into signing bilateral agreements with the U.S. which would legally constrain European governments from charging Americans before the new International Criminal Court with the commission of war crimes within their own borders. In other words, the Bush Administration fears that America's closest allies will accuse it of committing war crimes within Europe. Bush's insistence on treating Europe as if it were an enemy may become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
"Contempt of Court: Why is the Bush Administration so desperately opposed to the new International Criminal Court?"
As we approach the first anniversary date of September 11, we can expect a tsunami of American media hype about how America has changed since 9-11, 2001. Unfortunately, though, we can expect far less attention to be paid to how much America's relationship with Europe has changed since September 12, 2001. On September 12, the European member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization showed their sympathy and solidarity with America by invoking Article 5 of the NATO treaty, and declaring that the attack on America was an attack on every country in the NATO alliance. By invoking the treaty, Europe's governments declared their willingness to fight alongside America in the coming struggle.
Eleven months later, the alliance between the U.S and Europe seems vastly weaker than it did on September 12. And though there are many points of disagreement between the U.S. and Europe, ranging from Kyoto to steel tariffs to capital punishment, the single most divisive disagreement involves the new International Criminal Court.
To see the extraordinary change in the U.S.-European relationship since
September 12, consider the story which appeared in the August 26, 2002 edition of the New York Times. ""U.S. Issues Warning to Europeans in Dispute over New Court"" describes how the United States is trying to pressure European nations into signing bilateral agreements with the U.S. which would legally constrain European governments from charging Americans before the new International Criminal Court with the commission of war crimes within their own borders. In other words, the Bush Administration fears that America's closest allies will accuse it of committing war crimes within Europe. Bush's insistence on treating Europe as if it were an enemy may become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Collection
Citation
“tp50.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed October 7, 2024, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/736.