US Abandons War Crimes Exemption

UNITED NATIONS – Faced with the prospect of a humiliating defeat, the United States abandoned its proposal to seek Security Council exemption for U.S. soldiers from possible war crime charges in future UN peacekeeping operations overseas.

Unable to muster the necessary nine votes in the 15-member Security Council, Washington jettisoned the draft resolution Wednesday following widespread opposition from an overwhelming majority of member states. [...]

"My government is under particular pressure not to give a blank check to the United States for the behavior of its (military) forces," Chinese ambassador Wang Guangya told reporters. (source)

I have to agree with that. Why is it that the United States feels that it should be treated differently or be held at a different standard from other countries? We torture prisoners, and we get caught. Now, we are trying to get out of taking the blame for it.

That doesn't speak well for our country not does it set a standard for which we can be proud. But then again, the Bush Administration has taken us to a whole new level of pride, and not in a good way.

But at least we can say that after so many lives have been lost, Iraq is secured and safe, which is a good thing since we are about to hand over power to them so they can enjoy their new "democracy". I would hate to think that our young men and women died for nothing.

The attacks in the cities and towns of central and northern Iraq show that the insurgents have achieved a level of co-ordination not seen before. They were able to strike at police stations and Iraqi government facilities from Mosul in the north to Fallujah and Ramadi west of Baghdad.

The attacks also show that the US army has an uncertain grip on swaths of Iraq. The US-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) even warns its own employees only to use the airport road at certain times of the day.