WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (LSN) – It was reported today that the major stumbling block to the establishment of a permanent international criminal court was the US government's insistence that the Security Council must first approve prosecutions. The revelations came in a response to criticism aimed at the Clinton administration from the group “Human Rights Watch” which claimed the US was trying to undermine attempts to create a permanent independent criminal court.
In a related report, the U.S. Secretary of Defense said Tuesday that there was “a need for some kind of international police force. Yes, there should be an international presence. It remains to be seen exactly what size, what shape, what commitment many other countries are prepared to make. And that has yet to be decided”.