The International Criminal Court, the United States, and the Domestic Armed Conflict in Syria

Abstract

Reviews the various objections made by certain elements to U.S. ratification of the ICC and considers alternatives to the ICC. Argues that criticisms of the ICC are over-stated and can be answered decisively with good legal arguments. Argues that the U.S. should continue its close cooperation with the ICC and seek to ratify the ICC treaty as part of the U.S. pivot out of the failed, expensive, unilateral, lawless "global war on terror" and toward a multilateral rule of law approach which correctly constructs terrorism as illegal cowardly crime, and not an act of war (and thus implicitly lawful if not heroic). This pivot enables the U.S. to credibly call on aid from U.S. friends and allies, as well as persuading possible allies and dissuading actual enemies.

Keywords: International Criminal Court, ICC, Syria, Assad, United States, U.S., U.S.A., truth and reconciliation, tribunals, icty, ictr, imt

JEL Classification: K14, K33, K42