NEW YORK -- After the Treaty of Rome was signed in 1998, laying out the foundations for the International Criminal Court, many believed that this organ of justice would never materialize. There were already indications that the United States would not support such a court in all its aspects. Rejection of the ICC became evident during the Bush administration, which repudiated the U.S. signature of the treaty.
Yet, in spite of the U.S. opposition, the Rome Statute has now been ratified by 97 countries, and the ICC has been in official existence since July 1, 2002.
During the first and second presidential debates, President George W. Bush referred to the ICC and his refusal to ratify that treaty. He called the ICC "a body based in The Hague where unaccountable judges and prosecutors can pull our troops or diplomats up for trial." That was an unfortunate and misleading statement.