Again this week we have the latest news on terrorism and political violence from around the globe, starting with the birth of the African Union, and concluding with celebrations of the Black Tiger suicides. The feature article updates last weeks coverage of the International Criminal Court, including an evaluation of the risks posed to US forces stationed internationally.

Look for the latest additions to the Commercial Content section and information on the subscription services.

Write us at:

As always, this edition of the Newsletter is linked to selected data from the TerrorismCentral Library.

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CONTENTS:

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

1. Africa
2. Americas
3. Asia Pacific
4. Europe
5. Middle East
6. South Asia
7. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
8. Finance
9. Human Rights
10 Law and Legal Issues
11. Narco-terrorism
12. Transportation
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
14. Recently Published

FEATURE ARTICLE:
The International Criminal Court Part II: The US Strikes...Back?

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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

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1. Africa

On July 9, the African Union (AU) will replace the Organization of African Unity (OAU) as the unifying body of the 53 African member states. It is loosely modeled after the European Union. The AU charter includes powers to deal with human rights abuses, genocide, and regional conflicts, which was not allowed under the OAU.

The United Nations is assessing its mission in Angola in preparation for a July 11 meeting of the Security Council to consider renewing the UN mandate there. Treatment of the hundreds of thousands of displaced people -- a third of the population -- will be an important consideration. They subsist in camps that often lack basic food or medical care and face political violence and human rights abuses outside the camps.

Opposition politicians in the Cameroon continue to allege widespread voting fraud in last weeks parliamentary and local elections, but observers say the election was peaceful. With the vote showing increased support for the ruling party, an annulment is unlikely.

The Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD), with Rwandan backing, has renewed fighting in Democratic Republic of Congo, putting the peace agreement between the government and the second leading rebel group Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) at risk.

Ethiopia claims to have eliminated the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) separatist group after a battle in which 75 OLF were killed and over 500 captured. The OLF deny this claim.

Local elections in Ivory Coast, a country divided along both ethnic and religious lines, are at risk because at least 20 percent of the electorate has still not received the new identity cards required to vote. Birth certificates or driving licenses cannot be substituted. Opposition leader Alassane Ouattara, recently granted citizenship, has asked that the old ID cards be honored.

Fighting in Liberia between the government and the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebels threatens the entire region, including the fragile peace in Sierra Leone and in Guinea. Liberia, already facing UN sanctions because of its support for rebels in Sierra Leone, has lost its international mail service due to lack of payment to the carriers.

Madagascars 6-month struggle between rival presidential claimants seems to have ended. Didier Ratsirake, the ruler for 23 years, has fled into exile. Marc Ravalomanana has gained political victory with recognition from the US and France and military victory across most of the island. Establishing a government of national unity will now be essential to rebuild the country. The economy has been severely affected by the conflict and there are risks of conflict between the mountain and coastal peoples.

Malawian President Bakili Muluzi, elected in the countrys first multi-party elections, has accepted parliaments limitation of presidential terms to two. His second term will end in 2004.

Nigeria, plagued by crime, ethnic and political violence, drug and human trafficking, and fraud, has been given $3.3 million in aid from the US to help improve security. Recent violence includes a large number of criminal acts and local violence conducted by student cults and local militia groups.

Sierra Leone has just launched a Truth and Reconciliation Commission modeled after that held in South Africa.

In Somalia, the warlords have rejected the transitional governments request for international intervention to help disarm the rival group. Somalias government collapsed in 1991 and all efforts to establish authority have failed, making it an attractive haven for criminals including terrorists and pirates.

Sudan continues to bomb areas under the control of the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) rebel group, killing many civilians. They have offered to join Uganda to battle the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) that has been staging its operations against Uganda in the southern Sudan.

The LRA, meanwhile, has stepped up its attacks in northern Uganda, killing dozens.

Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe has accused white-owned businesses and his political opponents of artificially creating food shortages to sabotage the economy and create anarchy.

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2. Americas

Argentina, facing economic collapse and overwhelming public protests, has decided to move elections forward by 6 months, to March of 2003.

The Bolivian presidential election has ended with no candidate close to the required majority. The congress will now vote between the two closest candidates, Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada (former president and mine-owner) and Manfred Teyes Villa (former populist mayor). Evo Morales, in third place, favors nationalization and coca and opposes globalization and US intervention.

Colombian paramilitaries with the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) claim to be training forces in Venezuela. The Venezuelan government said if this report is true it will act against them.

Two protestors were killed at a demonstration in Guyana, after a day of violent protests against racial discrimination. These coincided with the annual summit of Caribbean leaders.

The Organization of American States (OAS) has reviewed claims of an attempted coup against the Haitian government last December and found them without merit.

In Jamaica, a commission of inquiry regarding police violence that killed 27 last summer found there was no misconduct.

Mexican inquiries into student massacres in 1968 and 1971 continued last week with the questioning of former president Luis Echeverria.

US, President Bushs suggestion that Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat had to be replaced, and that they may withdraw aid if he was re-elected, continued to generate international controversy. More controversy rose from the US threat to shut down UN peacekeeping missions across the world if it did not receive a blanket exemption from the International Criminal Court. See this weeks feature article for the latest details on this imbroglio.

The US celebrated its first 4th of July holiday since the attacks of September 11 under a high security alert. There were no terrorist incidents, but there was a mysterious shooting at the Los Angeles airport whose cause is still under investigation. The attack was carried out by Hesham Mohammed Ali Hadayet, an Egyptian legally resident in the US. It took place outside the El Al ticket counter, where two people were killed before an armed guard shot dead the attacker. As a result of this attack, airport security is being overhauled again, with armed guards stationed in additional locations. Based on Americas experience with shootings, perhaps this level of security should be extended to the local post offices, high schools, and fast food restaurants that have been frequently subject to such attacks.

Security overhauls at the federal government level progress as congress works on the plan for the Department of Homeland Security. Alterations to the CIA, FBI and NSA will only occur after the new department is in place. Meanwhile, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has implemented a web site to register foreign students into their new tracking database. Mohammad Saffi, a stepson of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, was rapidly arrested for failing to obtain a student visa as he traveled to Miami, Florida to attend flight school.

Iraq is still the subject of heated debate in the US administration as documented in a recent report published in the New York Times that laid out possible plans of attack. (See Eric Schmitts article "U.S. Plan for Iraq Is Said To Include Attack on 3 Sides" in the New York Times, July 5, 2002.)

A peace mission to Venezuela sanctioned by President Hugo Chavez has begun, with former US President Jimmy Carter acting as mediator.

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3. Asia Pacific

Australian authorities have not found ten of the 35 escaped asylum seekers from the Woomera detention camp, but their supporters say they are safe.

In Burma, Aung San Suu Kyis travels to Mandalay and other cities have been successful, proving that house arrest has been truly lifted, although other promises to release more political prisoners have not been kept.

Fighting along the Burma-Thai border, which started in May with ethnic clashes between the Wa and the Shan tribes, (rivals for the narcotics trade), has killed more than 700. Thailand blames Burma for the drug trade, while the Burmese believe the Thais are aiding the Shan rebels.

The Cambodian government has said it will modify the procedures for the Khmer Rouge genocide trial in order to comply with United Nations standards.

East Timors President Xanana Gusmao has visited Indonesia. He signed agreements with Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri to open embassies in each others countries, and set up a joint commission to deal with refugees and economic issues.

The Indonesian army is preparing an offensive against separatist rebels in the Aceh province. It may declare a state of emergency to support this fight. The government has also declared the rebels are terrorists. In response, the rebels have freed their 18 hostages.

In Kyrgyzstan, three people have been arrested for the murder of a Chinese diplomat, At first attributed to Uighur separatists, it now appears to have been an accident related to a separate financial dispute.

Tensions between North Korea and South Korea have been high following a border clash that led to several deaths. Both countries have indicated they want to reduce tensions.

In the Philippines, the US has claimed initial success against the Abu Sayyaf rebels and is now likely to scale back its military participation.

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4. Europe

Peacekeeping measures in Bosnia are the first to be put at risk under the US policy of vetoing the mission until it is provided blanket immunity from the International Criminal Court. For details, read this weeks feature article.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has offered to screen the 1,200 occupants of the French Sangatte camp to assess which are genuine refugees. Discussions will continue during the week.

German police continue their probe of Islamic militants. They have arrested Abdelghani Mzoudi (suspected member of the Armed Islamic Group [GIA] and former associate of September 11 hijackers). Six other detainees have been released.

After 27 years of attacks and investigations, Greek authorities are close to unmasking the leaders of the Revolutionary Organization 17 November. They have made their first arrest, of Savos Ziros, after his failed bombing attempt. Following his trail, they have uncovered two weapons caches, a suspected hideout, and discovered evidence in the murder of British defense attache Steven Saunders.

Spanish investigators have prepared a 700-page report on meetings in Spain of the September 11 conspirators. It has been given to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. The report includes details of up to six conspirators possibly including Mohamed Atta, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Marwan el-Shehhi, Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas (aka Abu Dahdah) and others.

An opinion poll in Turkey suggests that the overwhelming majority of Turkish voters accept European Union demands for human rights reforms including abolition of the death penalty and lifting a Kurdishlanguage ban. Turkeys participation in the EU is still at risk through the ill health of Prime Minister Ecevit and the lack of an obvious successor.

In Ukraine, an El Al pilot reported a missile explosion, but it was later determined to be a meteor.

The United Kingdom is revisiting its immigration policies and reviewing the possibility of a new national identity card. Discussions of the UKs role in arms sales (to warring African nations and to both sides of the Kashmir conflict) have also continued. Britain is second only to the US in international arms sales.

In Northern Ireland, street violence continues at a high level, most recently with parade-related violence and threatened assassinations. The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee of the parliament has expressed concern that insufficient resources are given to combat crime and fraud (increasingly on the mainland) so as to limit paramilitary assets that fund this violence.

UK and Irish Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern will meet soon to discuss ending the street violence and reviewing progress on the peace process.

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5. Middle East

The United Nations Development Program commissioned a group of Arab intellectuals to develop a comprehensive report on the region. The "Arab Human Development Report" and a new "Alternative Human Development Index" were delivered to the UNDP last week. See it online at http://www.undp.org/rbas/ahdr/ and for an excellent summary see the Economists coverage "Self-doomed to failure" in the July 6, 2002 issue.

This report highlights three reasons the Arab world has lagged behind other regions:

Across the Middle East, leaders have expressed doubts and the public their strong opposition to the recent announcements by US President Bushs administration that strongly support Israeli Prime Minister Sharons positions and called for the removal of Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat. While finding positive messages in the implied acceptance of a separate Palestinian state, President Mubarak of Egypt, Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and others, have stressed that only the Palestinian people can choose their leaders. They continue to press for a solution to the persistent violence that has made it impractical to undertake security changes, elections, or perform basic functions of civil society in the occupied territories.

More than 30 aid agencies working in the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank have warned Israel that their restrictions on movement made it impossible to meet minimal humanitarian needs. Israel responded that it is cooperating with the agencies but that its security must come first.

Algeria continues to experience the worst violence in the Middle East. Multiple explosions marked the 40th anniversary of independence from France. In one, 35 people were killed in a marketplace. Other bombs were detonated in a cemetary and on a beach.

In Egypt, 13 clerics of the Christian Coptic Church were dismissed for extremism and heresy.

In the occupied Gaza Strip, an Israeli tank opened fire on a woman and daughter in their car, killing both. Troops also killed a man in the south earlier in the day.

Iraq has ended discussions with the United Nations over weapons inspections sith no agreement. Iraq has continued to press for a comprehensive agreement that would include the lifting of sanctions. This impasse will give weight to US plans for military action against Iraq. (See Eric Schmitts article "U.S. Plan for Iraq Is Said To Include Attack on 3 Sides" in the New York Times, July 5, 2002.)

Israeli special forces have killed Mohammed Tahir, a Hamas leader accused of bomb-making and involvement in attacks linked to over 100 deaths. Israeli officials have said that nearly all of the most-wanted Palestinian militants in the West Bank have been arrested or killed. Authorities have also begun actions against illegal settlements and the wall along the West Bank is under construction.

Jordan has arrested 10 suspected militants plotting attacks on US and Israeli interests. The group of 10 was led by Wail al-Shalabi.

Two more bombs were found attached to cars in Saudi Arabia but were successfully removed.

In the West Bank, the Israeli occupation continues as Yassir Arafat attempts to reform the security services and other political entities. Jibril Rajoub, head of security in the West Bank, civil defense chief Mahmud Abu Marzuk and Ghazi Jabali, police chief in Gaza, were asked to leave. Confusion over the decision, the future roles of these prominent officials, and their possible replacements persists.

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6. South Asia

The major story in Afghanistan this week is the level of continued violence and the resulting threat to the stability of the re-emerging country. There were two major incidents. First, 48 were killed and 117 wounded when US planes bombed a wedding party. The reason for the civilian casualties has not yet been discovered although it is being investigated. The reluctance of the US to acknowledge the tragedy led to great public resentment and anti-American demonstrations. At this point, the number of civilian deaths as the result of mistaken US fire has exceeded the fatalities in the World Trade Center attacks, leading many to question the continued use of aerial bombing. In a second serious incident, gunmen attacked Vice President and Minister for Public Works Haji Abdul Qadir, shooting him dead.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has completed a detailed assessment of Afghan refugees who fled their homes in the north to enter Pakistan. More than 25,000 have been trapped at the closed border for months.

In India Vaiko, leader of the MDMK party that is a member of the governing coalition, has been charged under new anti-terrorism laws for expressing support for the Tamil Tiger rebels.

A rebel attack, possibly by the separatist Achik National Volunteer Force, has killed five in the northeastern Indian Meghalaya state.

Investigators in the western Indian state of Gujarat have conducted forensic analysis of the train fire in February that led to the anti-Muslim riots that killed 2,000. Original reports said the train was forced to stop when attacked by a Muslim mob. The analysis indicates that the fire was not started from outside.

The situation in Kashmir remains tense, but India has begun removing some land mines in a gesture to help reduce local tensions. The latest violence has wounded more than 30 in shooting and grenade explosions. India has kept up pressure on Pakistan over Islamic militants.

In Nepal, Krishna Sen, editor of a pro-Maoist newspaper, has been missing since last May when it was reported that he had been arrested and tortured to death. The government now says they do not have him and has offered a reward for his capture. A bomb was thrown into the Prime Ministers office, injuring 10. It is not yet known who threw it.

Pakistan has continued its efforts against Islamic militants. They have arrested Haziz Ishfaq, a member of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, for several murders. Four armed men, possibly from the same group, were killed in a gunfight with police. Seven suspected al Qaeda were arrested in tribal areas.

In Pakistans Punjab province, a gang rape ordered by a tribal council as punishment against a womans family has led to outrage. The Supreme Court has ordered the local police chief and other officers, to explain their actions. The rapists will be tried in an anti-terrorism court. The government condemned the act and has paid compensation. Human rights groups have condemned the action, pointing it out as an extreme example of violence against women that is routine in Pakistan, where it is estimated that one woman is raped every two hours.

As part of the peace process in Sri Lanka, services were held across the country to honor the 240 suicide fighters active during the last 15 years.

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7. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

The Business Software Alliance reports that software piracy rose from 37 percent in 2000 to 40 percent in 2001, but the dollar loss declines with the price of software, to just under $11 billion.

Europol using sophisticated computer forensics techniques broke up the Shadowz Brotherhood, a pedophile ring. Read a description written by the BBC at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_2082000/2082657.stm

Microsoft has announced another batch of software vulnerabilities and also a new, highly complex program to secure PCs at the hardware level, including embedded certificates. This proposal is called Palladium, and involves collaboration among both hardware and software manufacturing companies to develop an entirely new secure architecture for Microsofts computing platform.

The US National Institute of Standards and Technology has published a study of software errors, indicating that routine (not catastrophic) coding errors costs users $59.5 billion per year.

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8. Finance

A NATO search in Bosnia has allegedly uncovered evidence that war crime suspect Radovan Karadizic is financing his activities through crime, including arms smuggling.

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee of the parliament has expressed concern that insufficient resources are given to combat crime and fraud (increasingly seen on the mainland) that could limit paramilitary assets. As reported by the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/northern_ireland/newsid_2081000/),
"Among the republican and loyalist paramilitary groups raising millions each year are:

In Spain, a high court judge has ordered the seizure of some $19 million in assets of the political party Batasuna, that is associated with the Basque separatist group ETA. The seizure is to pay for damage following street violence.

In the US, 11 financial services industry groups have united against new anti-terrorism regulations that would require detailed investigation of almost every correspondent transaction. They are asking the regulations be narrowed to something more workable around high risk transactions.

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9. Human Rights

The Cambodian government has said it will modify the procedures for the Khmer Rouge genocide trial in order to comply with United Nations standards.

Sierra Leone has launched a Truth and Reconciliation Commission modeled after that held in South Africa.

The row over the new International Criminal Court continues. See details in the Feature Article, below.

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10. Law and Legal Issues

A UK court of appeal has granted Feroz Abbasi, held in the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, a hearing of his claims that his rights are not being protected.

The Air India bombing trial has been delayed because of fraud charges against one of the defendants that led to the resignation of several defense lawyers. There will be further investigations and the trial will resume next year.

Ignace Bagilishema, charged in the Rwandan genocide, has had his acquittal upheld by the appeals court of the International Criminal Ribunal for Rwanda.

Yukiko Ekita, a former member of the Red Army guerillas in Japan, has been jailed for 26 years for a series of bombings in the 1970s.

Haziz Ishfaq, a member of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, has been arrested in Pakistan for several murders.

Chiles Supreme Court has found Augusto Pinochet unfit to stand trial for human rights crimes during his 17-year dictatorship.

Perus former intelligence chief, Vladimiro L. Montesinos, was sentenced to more than 9 years in prison for abuse of authority on charges that included corruption, arms smuggling, and murder.

Zacarias Moussaoui, on trial for his role in the September 11 attacks, has asked that the not guilty plea entered on his behalf by the judge be changed to a plea of no contest. He also asked to testify before the US Congress, regarding the role of the FBI, and to speak with reporters.

Belgacem Nouar, uncle of Nizar Nouar who immolated himself in the April Tunisian synagogue bombing, will go on trial in Tunisia next week, accused of helping plan the attack and of hiding information.

Mohammad Saffi, a stepson of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, was arrested in Miami for failing to obtain a student visa as he traveled to attend flight school.

The US Department of Justice has been granted a stay by the Supreme Court that will allow it to maintain secrecy of immigration hearings while an appeals court reviews the case.

Vaiko, leader of the MDMK party that is a member of the governing coalition in India, has been charged under new anti-terrorism laws for expressing support for the Tamil Tiger rebels.

The Washington Post is appealing a ruling by the Yugoslavia war crimes tribunal that requires journalist, Jonathan Randal, to testify.

The ruling Zanu-PF party in Zimbabwe has been ordered by a US court to pay over $70 million in damages related to political violence against opponents in the June 2000 parliamentary elections.

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11. Narco-Terrorism

Fighting along the Burma -Thai border, which started in May with ethnic clashes between the Wa and the Shan tribes, rivals for the narcotics trade, has killed more than 700. Thailand blames Burma for the drug trade, while the Burmese believe the Thais are aiding the Shan rebels.

Investigations at a Taiwanese port suggest that North Korea may be complicit in drug smuggling to help earn foreign currency.

US President Bush has announced the resumption of a drug interdiction policy to shoot down aircraft if suspected of smuggling drugs.

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12. Transportation

Austria, Finland, Germany and Netherlands have opposed proposed airport security measures in the European Union as impractical. Negotiations continue.

The US Coast Guard has brought the first marine safety and security team into service in Seattle.

The US Transportation Security Administration testing of security screeners revealed that weapons got past almost a quarter of the time at major airports, and over half the time at some.

Airline security cam under additional scrutiny after a shooting in Los Angeles airport, leading to assignment of armed guards in the public areas of airports.

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13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

The US Office of Compliance has suggested that continued exposure to irradiated mail (common practice to sterilize Congressional mail after last years anthrax attacks) could be leading to health problems including nausea, rashes, and other possible effects.

The hunt for missing nuclear generators in Georgia has been unsuccessful. Authorities now suggest they may not exist.

Iraq has again rejected the return of United Nations arms inspectors.

Smallpox vaccinations will be offered to half a million first response health care and emergency workers in the US.

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14. Recently Published

Caloyannides, Michael. Desktop Witness: The Dos and Donts of Personal Computer Security. John Wiley.

Dwyer, Jim, Kevin Flynn and Ford Fessenden. "Fatal Confusion: A Troubled Emergency Response: 9/11 Exposed Deadly Flaws in Rescue Plan" in The New York Times, July 7, 2002.

Fallaci, Oriana. La rabbia e lorgoglio. Rizzoli

Fialka, John J. "U.S. Nuclear Plants Face Security Gaps Since Sept. 11 Raids: Washington, Industry Debate Scenarios, Forcing Owners To Rely on Ad Hoc Shields" in The Wall Street Journal, July 3, 2002

Forna, Aminatta. The Devil That Danced on the Water: A Daughters Memoir. Harper Collins.

Gonzalez, Juan. Fallout: The Environmental Consequences of the World Trade Center Collapse. New Press

Higgins, Andres and Alan Cullison, "Saga of Dr. Zawahri Illuminates Roots of al Qaeda Terror: Secret, Failed Trip to Chechnya Turned Key Plotters Focus To America and bin Laden: Sojourn in a Russian Prison" in The Wall Street Journal, July 2, 2002

Jervis, Rick, Christopher Cooper and Gary Fields, "Terrorists May Be Among Refugees Heading to Europe: Afghans, Chechens and Iraqis Move Through Slovakia With Little Monitoring" in The Wall Street Journal, July 5, 2002

Lapper, Richard, Raymond Colitt et al. Financial Times Survey: Brazil. Financial Times, July 3, 2002.

Pearce, Fred. "Blood diamonds and oil" in New Scientist, June 29, 2002

Richards, Leonard L. Shays Rebellion: The American Revolutions Final Battle. University of Pennsylvania Press.

Rhodes, Richard. Masters of Death: The SS-Einsatzgruppen and the invention of the Holocaust. Knopf.

Ruthven, Malise. A Fury for God: The Islamist Attack on America. Granta

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FEATURE ARTICLE:

The International Criminal Court, Part II: The US Strikes...Back?

The International Criminal Court (ICC), ratified by 74 countries, went into effect on July 1. (The background to the ICC was given in last weeks feature article.)

While the US has refused to support the treaty and has no plans to ratify it under the present administration, but it has now tied international peacekeeping operations to a blanket exemption from the court. This move is both unexpected and profoundly confrontational.

In its first strike, the US used its Security Council veto to stop renewal of the UN peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. Although given a temporary reprieve with a short-term extension of the mandate, this step represents a profound change in US policy that could eliminate its role in all peacekeeping operations. This is generally perceived to be the goal of US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, who has now succeeded in utterly supplanting the efforts of US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

While its impact in the long term will be limited, the future of the ICC, international human rights, and the US role in the international community will all be affected by this intransigence.

It is hard to see any justification for the USs hardline position on this matter. The facts are clear. The ICC has strict limitations on the types of crimes that come under its jurisdiction. It is designed to discourage the worst crimes against the world: crimes committed by the likes of Pol Pot or Saddam Hussein. The local crimes often committed by troops and civilians stationed abroad do not meet this standard. And even if nuisance cases are brought before the court, they would not proceed from there.

There are already a huge number of exemptions within the ICC charter as well. Individual exemptions can be granted. More to the point, the US already has more than 100 bilateral treaties with individual countries wherein it operates. These are not affected by the ICC.

The claims of abandoning American sovereignty are also suspect. American troops are already used to operating under foreign command not just under current international peacekeeping operations, but on many other occasions. For example, in World War II, the US navy was under British command.

Targeting Bosnia is senseless. There is no risk from that engagement. US troops in Bosnia were scheduled to be replaced by the EU January 1, at which time the ICC would still not be equipped to conduct a trial against the departing US forces even if it wanted to.

So is America at particular risk because of its dominant peacekeeping role? Not at all.

The US has more than a quarter of a million troops serving in 144 different countries. It certainly spends by far the greatest amount on military operations. How do overall US military operations compare to their peacekeeping efforts?

The following table lists
Each current mission (the mandate of the mission UN or NATO) then the number of international forces present/the number of US contributors (including troops, observers, and civilians):

Afghanistan (ISAF UN sanctioned, not controlled) 5,000/0
Bosnia Herzegovina (UNMIBH) 1,539/46
Bosnia Herzegovina (SFOR - NATO) 18,000/4,000
Cyprus (UNFICYP) 1,241/0
Democratic Republic of Congo (UN) 3,719/0
East Timor (UNMISET) 6,307/79
Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) 4,154/7
Georgia (UNOMIG) 108/2
Golan Heights (UNDOF) 1,030/0
India and Pakistan at Jammu Kashmir 44/0
Iraq-Kuwait (UNIKOM) 1,103/11
Kosovo (KFOR NATO) 50,000/5,640
Kosovo (UNMIK) 9,049/551
Lebanon (UNIFIL) 3,642/0
Middle East (UNTSO) 55/2
Prevlaka (UNMOP) 27/0
Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) 17,275/0
Western Sahara (MINURSO) 225/7

To summarize, there are nearly 10,000 Americans, including troops, military observers and civilians, on peacekeeping missions. Over 9,000 of these are on NATO missions. The vast majority of US troops are those stationed in other sovereign countries.

This is an extremely important point. If America is concerned about its security -- and the fight against terrorism -- it is this large military presence that presents the greatest risk. The empirical evidence demonstrates that this international military presence strongly correlates to terrorist actions against American interests.

Osama bin Laden is but one example. He has written and spoken of these strongly held views. He and the members and associates of al Qaeda have also taken a number of direct actions that stress their opposition to the American troops stationed in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. Dont forget the US embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, World Trade Center Bombings 1993 and 2001, the USS Cole or myriad other efforts.

They are not alone in their anger against what is widely perceived as American occupation. actions in Afghanistan by the Taliban, attacks on American military personnel in Lebanon, Somalia and Saudi Arabia, the embassy personnel held hostage in Iran, the bombing of the marine barracks in Beirut and the night club bombing in Berlin, numerous hijackings and bombings in Japan, Chile, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Pakistan, South Africa, shootings in the Philippines, El Salvador, Panama.... The list could go on for pages.

Following the recommendation of the US General Accounting Office, and other government bodies, as well as industry best practices, let's take a risk management approach to a foreign policy decision:

The chances of the US suffering catastrophic terrorist attacks as a result of foreign policy decisions that have installed thousands of troops across the world: close to 100%

The risk from humanitarian actions taken by the International Criminal Court: Near 0.

Perhaps it is time that American foreign policy turns its attention towards the well-documented threat from its broad military presence rather than the speculative risk from a small number of international peacekeeping operations.

For additional details regarding the recent events related to the ICC and Bosnia, we recommend:

Also note:

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