Annan Raps U.S. on Global Court; Council Talks Begin (UNITED NATIONS U.S. military)

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan rebuked the United States for trying to get another exemption from prosecution by the new International Criminal Court and urged the Security Council to oppose the measure.

He is expected to press his case at a luncheon with council ambassadors on Friday. And next week more than 40 nations are scheduled to debate the measure in a public meeting, at which time U.S. abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan is bound to be mentioned.

"The blanket exemption is wrong. It is of dubious judicial value and I don't think it should be encouraged by the council," Annan told reporters on Thursday.

Annan has opposed the measure in past years but used particularly harsh language this time, noting the human rights scandal in U.S.-run prisons in Iraq.

"I think it would be unfortunate for one to press for such an exemption, given the prisoner abuse in Iraq," he said. "I think in this circumstance it would be unwise to press for an exemption, and it would be even more unwise on the part of the Security Council to grant it."

The United States is investigating abuse of prisoners by the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Bush administration, for the third year, is seeking to renew a Security Council resolution that would exempt from the court's prosecution military and civilian personnel "related to a UN-authorized operation" such as that in Iraq.

The immunity is extended to all nations not among the 94 countries that have ratified a treaty establishing the court, based in The Hague, Netherlands. The resolution expires by the end of the month.

So far Washington does not have enough support or will barely reach the required nine "yes" votes needed for the resolution to pass in the 15-nation body.

Among the 15 council members, Germany, France, Spain, Brazil, Chile, Benin and Romania, are expected to abstain. But some, like Romania, are reluctant to be responsible for failure of the resolution, if it dies by one vote.

Crucial is whether China abstains. China has criticized the resolution as sending the wrong signal to the world. But diplomats say Beijing is seeking U.S. concessions on Taiwan, although China denies this.

Expected to vote in favor are Russia, Algeria, the Philippines, Pakistan, Angola as well as Britain, one of 94 countries to have ratified the treaty. Its vote is based on Washington's past threat to veto U.N. peacekeeping missions one by one as it did in 2002, British officials say.

The Bush administration argues that the tribunal, based in The Hague, Netherlands, could be used for politically motivated law suits against American soldiers. Supporters say the court's statutes exclude countries with a proper judicial system, like the United States, from prosecution.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the resolution "should be renewed the way the council said it would."

U.S. Soldier Charged in Fatal Shooting of Hurt Iraqi

Wed Jun 16, 7:35 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army is bringing murder charges against a soldier who fatally shot at close range an Iraqi man who already was badly wounded in a vehicle after a high-speed chase in Iraq (news - web sites), officials said on Wednesday.

"Charges have been preferred," said Lt. Col. Pamela Hart, an Army spokeswoman at the Pentagon (news - web sites), but she did not specify the charges or name the 1st Armored Division soldier. Another Army official said the soldier is being charged with murder after the Army Criminal Investigation Division looked into the May 21 shooting near Kufa in southern Iraq.

The incident took place after U.S. forces engaged in a high-speed chase after coming across a motorcade in which the Iraqi was driving one of the vehicles, according to a statement issued by U.S. Central Command on June 4.

The man's vehicle was hit by gunfire and he was seriously wounded, while a passenger in the vehicle was less seriously wounded, according to that statement. The U.S. soldier then approached the car and shot the wounded drive to death at close range, according to the statement.

At the time, defense officials said the investigation centered on "a potential violation of U.S. rules of engagement." They said the soldier may have shot the Iraqi to end the wounded man's suffering, but one official added that soldiers "don't get to make those kinds of decisions."

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