April 7 Letter to Senators Helms and Edwards regarding the International Criminal Court

On April 11, 2002, the sixtieth ratification of the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court (ICC) will be recorded in a ceremony at the United Nations in New York. This event will mark an historic and essential next step in the long struggle for human rights and an end to genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Yet the United States will not be among that number. In fact, we are very concerned to learn that the Bush administration is considering removing the U.S. signature from the Statute.

The events of September 11 and subsequent efforts to bring to justic those involved in the attacks have highlighted the need for an international criminal court. People who commit crimes against humanity of the magnitude of the September 11 attacks must be brought lawfully to justice by due process.

The ICC could provide such a venue in the future. It would assure that future crimes of this magnitude will be fully investigated and prosecuted in a venue that is accepted and supported by the international community. It may deter future despots from committing such atrocities.

We urge you to contact President Bush and Secretary of State Powell.

Please impress upon them the importance of U.S. support for this historic advance in the long struggle for human rights and an end to genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The U.S. must remain constructively engaged in creating the ICC; and the Senate should ratify the treaty as soon as possible.

On behalf of the Committee of Active Nonviolent Response to Terrorism of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Friends Meeting, I write to you.

Sincerely,

Arnold R. Post