Posted on 07/03/2003 2:22:35 AM PDT by sarcasm
WASHINGTON - The U.S. government is negotiating with 35 countries, including 14 in the Western Hemisphere, to avert cuts in U.S. military aid to nations that fail to shield Americans from an international war crimes tribunal, officials said Wednesday.
President Bush may also issue waivers that would allow the U.S. funds to continue flowing to the hemispheric neighbors plus 10 nations from Africa, nine from Europe and two from East Asia and the Pacific.
''Waivers are being considered on a case-by-case basis,'' said Mike Anton, a White House spokesman, in a telephone interview. ``There are ongoing negotiations.''
The threatened cuts announced earlier this week created massive confusion abroad over what funds were endangered and sparked complaints that Washington is trying to bully other nations into disregarding their commitments to the International Criminal Court.
At risk are $18 million in military aid to hemispheric neighbors -- including $5 million to Colombia -- and $29 million allocated to the other nations for the U.S fiscal year that ends Oct. 1
The potential cuts are part of the American Servicemembers Protection Act, passed by Congress last year, which penalizes countries that do not exempt Americans from prosecution before the International Criminal Court, created to pursue cases of genocide, war crimes and other crimes against humanity.
The act is designed to block politically motivated prosecutions of U.S. citizens. Washington signed the 1998 treaty that created the court, but the Bush administration pulled out of the agreement last year.
More than 50 countries already have signed bilateral immunity agreements with the United States. Another group, including 18 members of the NATO alliance and Argentina, classified as a 'non-NATO ally,' are exempt from the act.
Bush has also issued waivers to nearly two dozen countries, said State Department officials who declined to identify them. The State Department has said the potential effect for Colombia, the largest receiver of U.S. military aid in the region, would be minimal because the cuts do not apply to funds used to fight drug trafficking.
Virtually all of the affected funds are used for equipment purchases and training.
Most of the $131.1 million allocated to Colombia for the U.S. fiscal year that ends Sept. 30 already has been spent, meaning only $5 million might be at risk, State Department officials said.
In addition to Colombia, the other countries that missed Tuesday's deadline to sign an exemption agreement include: Antigua, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela. Of more concern are funds allocated for next fiscal year, which kicks off Oct. 1.
Critics say the Bush administration is using the threat of funding cuts to pressure other nations that signed the treaty creating the international court.
''The U.S. is basically bullying other countries,'' said Heather Hamilton of the World Federalist Association, a Washington-based citizens organization. ``The main issue here is not the money itself, but the the U.S. is using the money as a blunt tool. President Bush is out there gunslinging again.''
Anton, the White House spokesman, rejected the accusation, saying that the Bush administration has concerns about the political misuses of the court and that Americans should not be subject to the provisions of a treaty that the United States did not join.
''First and foremost, this is the law of the land,'' Anton said. ``The United States is not part of the ICC and we don't think American personnel should be subjected to it.''
Amen, brother. I'm tired of my hard earned $ going to countries that hate the US.
America, welfare for the world.
Right in one, and I thank God for it.
Since cash is one of the few words the lying kleptocrats the world over seem to understand we would be foolish to cast aside such an effective blunt tool.
Giving people aid and comfort to people while they are acting against your best interests is something that a suckers would do.
At the risk of offending my Asian friends, just allow me to put it in terms we can all understand...
No tickee -- no shirtee"
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