UN prosecutor appointed. (Insider Report).

The Bush administration eagerly invited publicity for its May 6th decision to "un-sign" the International Criminal Court treaty. However, it did little to call attention to the appointment of Defense Department attorney David M. Crane to serve as chief prosecutor for the UN War Crimes Tribunal for Sierra Leone.

At the time of the appointment, Crane was serving as a senior executive and attorney in the Defense Department's Office of Inspector General. A press release from the Syracuse University College of Law (of which Crane is an alumnus) reveals that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Crane to the position following "a long confirmation process that started last October when Secretary of State Colin Powell, with the concurrence of the White House, nominated Crane for the position."

In his May 6th speech outlining the president's position on the ICC, Under Secretary of State Marc Grossman emphasized that the administration would be willing to collaborate with the UN to create "hybrid" judicial institutions, in which national governments would cooperate with the UN to try those accused of violating international law. Grossman also promised that the administration would work to create "a pool of experienced judges and prosecutors" to serve in such international courts. Crane's appointment satisfies those conditions. Moreover, it illustrates that despite its lack of enthusiasm for the ICC in its present form, the Bush administration is nonetheless helping build the UN's judicial machinery.