Brussels, 09/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - German Social Democrat Jo Leinen called on the EU on Tuesday to speak with a single voice over the diplomatic controversy surrounding the International Criminal Court (ICC) that is pitting the United States against the other members of the United Nations Security Council (see Europe of 3 July). He said that the "credibility of the EU's common foreign policy" was "at stake", hoping that EU Member States, "in particular the British government, would not abandon the hitherto common EU position on the ICC. The ICC is a milestone on the path to the condemnation of crimes against humanity and therefore a substantial improvement of International Law" said Leinen, adding, "special rights for the USA and its citizens are totally unacceptable and destroy the idea of the International Criminal Court". "The arrogant behaviour of the superpower USA has to be strongly rejected by the international community, and in particular by the EU, said Leinen.
In a letter in the Washington Post on Tuesday, Commissioner Chris Patten deeply regretted the US decision, which "threatens international stability because it poses practical problems for the renewal of UN peacekeeping mandates around the world. The effects are already being felt in Bosnia.