The International Criminal Court is coming. (Insider Report).

On April 11th at United Nations headquarters, a journey that began in Rome in July of 1998 reached its final stage: Ten nations deposited their ratifications of the Rome Statute simultaneously, jointly sharing the honor of bringing the International Criminal Court (ICC) into existence.

Internationalists promoting the criminal court have openly acknowledged the grandiose plans they have for it. Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch, stated that "the International Criminal Court is potentially the most important human rights institution created in 50 years. It will be the court where the Saddam Husseins, Pol Pots and Augusto Pinochets of the future are held to account."

The Coalition for the International Criminal Court used remarkably similar language in an April 11th press statement: "The ICC will function not only as a mechanism for ensuring just recourse under the law, it will also serve as a powerful deterrent to the future Pinochets, Pol Pots and Milosevics of the world."

The references in these statements to former anti-Communist Chilean leader Augusto Pinochet is perhaps intended as a not-so-subtle warning to future world leaders who attempt to fight Communism in their homelands. Recall that Henry Kissinger referred to Pinochet's kidnapping and detention by British officials as a "landmark" in establishing the concept of "universal jurisdiction." The veiled threat seems to be: Oppose the one-wonders and the Communists and you will be hauled before the ICC.

The Bush administration has thus far opposed U.S. ratification of the Rome Statute (signed by President Clinton in the final days of his administration). So too have members of Congress with restless conservative constituencies. However, most of this opposition has been limited to the potential liability of members of the U.S. military engaged in peacekeeping operations. For example, the New York Times of April 12th reported: "Today, five members of Congress, led by Henry J. Hyde, chairman of the House International Relations Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell requesting that he ask the Security Council to write into every future peacekeeping resolution a grant of absolute immunity from the court for Americans who take part in operations."

In the upper house, Senators Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) and Zell Miller (D-Ga.) used an editorial in the April 11th Washington Times to sell their American Service Member's Protection Act. "The only means to keep the ICC in its proper place is the American Service Member's Protection Act," they wrote. "The new court may very well run amok, but with passage of our bill, American men and women in uniform will be protected."

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, a well known foe of the United Nations in the House, has introduced the more strongly worded H.R. 4169, the "American Servicemember and Citizen Protection Act of 2002." Paul's legislation not only urges President Bush to rescind the Clinton signature on the Rome Statute, but stipulates: "No funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the United States Government for any purpose may be used in any manner for the establishment or operation of the [ICC]."

As of April 16th, H.R. 4169 had gathered 19 cosponsors.