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International-UN-NGOs
U.S. to Pull Forces From 2 U.N. Missions
2004-07-02
The U.S. military will pull tiny contingents out of two U.N. peacekeeping missions because Americans no longer are exempt from international prosecution for war crimes, a Pentagon spokesman said Thursday. A seven-person team will be removed from the U.N. mission to keep the peace between the African nations of Ethiopia and Eritrea, and two liaison officers will be taken out of the U.N. mission in Kosovo, spokesman Larry Di Rita told reporters at a new conference. "It was determined ... that the risk was not appropriate to our forces, and so they were withdrawn," Di Rita said. The head of the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch questioned the Bush administration's rationale. "This sounds like an excuse to pull a few U.S. personnel out of U.N. peacekeeping missions, not because they are at any risk, but to make an ideological point," said Richard Dicker.
Could also be that we need them for more important things. We're calling up members of the Individual Ready Reserve, to go with the reservists we're mobilizing...
But did you get the point?
He said the International Criminal Court, which started operating last year in The Hague, has no authority over events in Ethiopia or Eritrea because neither country has ratified the treaty establishing the tribunal. The main U.S. mission to Kosovo, numbering about 2,200 troops, will not be affected because separate agreements exempt them from war crimes prosecution, Pentagon officials said.
Posted by:Steve White

#16  Excellent choice Jackal. Even better then my own: Right dab in the middle of the largest mass grave in Iraq (with parking restricted to outside the mass grave...)

(Or perhaps one of those burned-out villages in western Sudan....).
Posted by: CrazyFool   2004-07-02 11:14:52 PM  

#15  Spot on, Jackal. I vote for Rwanda. Just think of how much the cash infusion would help that country.

Of course, the UN would probably refuse to go there while the security situation is so dangerous - guess they could hang out in Geneva until it improved.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2004-07-02 8:36:45 PM  

#14  I would move the UN to the site of one of its great successes.

Perhaps Rawanda? Or Sebrenica? How about Gaza?

Something farther east, like the Korean DMZ?
Posted by: Jackal   2004-07-02 4:43:03 PM  

#13  Really want to make Chirac's head explode? Move the UN to Ankara
Posted by: JerseyMike   2004-07-02 2:44:20 PM  

#12  Paris is good, badanov. Let's keep the nominations going to get the most bang for our buck. I vote for Warsaw-Chirac would be livid.
Posted by: jules 187   2004-07-02 2:11:24 PM  

#11   Excellent. Let this be the first snowflakes of the snowstorm. Next defund the UN.

But first, move it to Paris.
Posted by: badanov   2004-07-02 1:23:59 PM  

#10  Major Richard Head.

Posted by: CujoQuarrel   2004-07-02 1:12:46 PM  

#9  Richard Dicker? High school musta been hell...

I'm tired of this crap, I'm also rich are you?
Posted by: Dick Trickle   2004-07-02 11:47:35 AM  

#8  PBMcL wrote: "Richard Dicker? High school musta been hell..."

That's why he grew up and joined the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch. Oh the humanity...
Posted by: Seafarious   2004-07-02 11:27:22 AM  

#7  PBMcL wrote: "Richard Dicker? High school musta been hell..."

I once knew a guy named Richard Holder. Now that name must have been hell in HS.
Posted by: Tibor   2004-07-02 10:49:51 AM  

#6  Cause: "Why hello there, Effect!"
Effect: "Please ta make yer acquaintance."

Larry DiRita? What, was Moe unavailable for comment?
Posted by: BH   2004-07-02 10:29:29 AM  

#5  "This sounds like an excuse to pull a few U.S. personnel out of U.N. peacekeeping missions, not because they are at any risk, but to make an ideological point," said Richard Dicker.

Well at least you ain't stupid, Dick Dickhead.
Posted by: tu3031   2004-07-02 9:01:50 AM  

#4  Yeap pull the troops out of Kosovo,we've done our part.It is Euorpe's turn to do what needs to be done.After all the Balkins are part of Euorpe.
Posted by: Raptor   2004-07-02 8:17:48 AM  

#3  Richard Dicker? High school musta been hell...
Posted by: PBMcL   2004-07-02 1:55:52 AM  

#2  Next defund the UN.

Actually, before that happens, I'd like to see the U.S. contingent in Kosovo pulled out next, regardless of any separate agreement regarding immunity from ICC prosecution, just to make sure the message is nice and clear.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-07-02 1:46:37 AM  

#1  Excellent. Let this be the first snowflakes of the snowstorm. Next defund the UN.
Posted by: ed   2004-07-02 1:42:30 AM  

00:00