Copyright 2001 Associated Press

AP Worldstream

September 12, 2001 Wednesday

SECTION: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

DISTRIBUTION: Europe; Britian; Scandinavia; England

LENGTH: 316 words

HEADLINE: court

BYLINE: GRANT PECK; Associated Press Writer

DATELINE: BANGKOK, Thailand

BODY:
The Coalition for the International Criminal Court, ending a two-day
Asian regional meeting, also called on the United States to use the
law, not military force, to respond to Tuesday's attacks. It said
reprisals by the United States risk setting off a cycle of
more "recrimination, revenge and terrorism."
The coalition is made up of more than 1,000 human rights and other
non-governmental organizations worldwide that support the planned
International Criminal Court.
The court, expected to be established in the Netherlands in 2002 or
2003, will be a permanent body to try individuals for war crimes,
crimes against humanity and genocide.
"The failure of the most powerful nation with the greatest resources
to prevent such a crime reinforces the need for massive cooperation
throughout the international community in outlawing, investigating,
prosecuting and bringing to justice those who commit these most
serious crimes against humanity," said a statement from the
coalition.
It said the International Criminal Court will serve such a purpose.
The international community has been unable to agree on a legal
definition for international terrorism. But the statement said legal
experts at the meeting unanimously agreed that Tuesday's "acts of
terrorism were crimes against humanity - the murder of thousands of
innocent civilians."
Last year, the United States under then-President Bill Clinton signed
the Rome Accord establishing the court, but Congress has not ratified
it. Coalition members doubt that President George W. Bush will
support the accord because of concerns among U.S. officials that the
court infringes on national sovereignty.
(gp/vj)

LOAD-DATE: September 13, 2001