Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-07-03-Speech-3-174"
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"en.20020703.5.3-174"2
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"Mr President, a few weeks ago, people still joked that the United States planned to release American citizens or soldiers – by force, if necessary – from the cells of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Meanwhile, this controversy has developed into an extremely serious conflict between Europe and the United States.
I would immediately like to make it clear what irritates and vexes me the most, and I think I speak for many other Europeans. As an American professor expressed it in this morning's Herald Tribune, a newspaper which is also read by Mr Oostlander, the United States behaves like a big gorilla that does not tolerate any restrictions imposed on its behaviour. In fact, what it comes down to is that the United States thinks it is above comparison with other nations. Strict agreements? Discipline? This is all well and good for other countries, but the United States does not feel like adhering to these.
It is the double standards that go against the grain with Europe. If the Americans can do as they please, how can we in heaven’s name prevent the Russians and the Chinese, that do not happen to support the International Criminal Court either, from doing as they please and riding roughshod over agreements reached at international level? Meanwhile, the questions are mounting.
Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Mr Haarder, allow me to submit to you the most pressing questions. It looks as if the future of SFOR is not at risk because a new UN mandate is not required for this. Is this also how the German Government views this? Is there therefore no risk of German troops withdrawing from Bosnia? And what is this saying about the legal position of the SFOR military? Are they immune from prosecution by the International Criminal Court? Does this immunity apply in Bosnia, or does it apply elsewhere in the world too?
If the mandate of the UN police force in Bosnia is not extended, which is not likely, how will the non-European countries, which account for approximately 900 agents, or 60% of the total, react? If these leave soon, does this mean that the European soldiers and European police officers who stay behind will be tested to the limit? Is the European Union – and I sincerely hope so – as Mr Xavier Solana stated yesterday, willing and able to provide additional police troops promptly for this police force, and is Mr Haarder, is the Council, prepared to pay extra for this?
Finally, I should like to ask the Council one last specific question about the position of Great Britain and France in the Security Council. Is this now truly being coordinated with the European Union across the board? In other words, am I to conclude, if the answer is positive, that the Council too endorses the compromise proposals which are now, for example, being tabled by Britain and which, in my view, undermine the position of the Criminal Court?
Finally, allow me to finish on a positive note. It could be a step in the right direction if the European Union turned this into a policy of defending people, in the knowledge that accountability is required, for one King Kong is more than enough."@en1
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