JURIST - Paper Chase: ICC prosecutor says Bush, Blair could face war crimes investigation

[JURIST] US President George Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair [official profiles] may one day face war crimes charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website; JURIST news archive] at The Hague, according to ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo [official profile; BBC profile]. Moreno-Ocampo said Sunday that the ICC could investigate allegations of war crimes stemming from the conduct of coalition forces in Iraq [JURIST news archive], so long as Iraq agrees to ratify the Rome Statute [PDF text] and accede to ICC jurisdiction. Hamid al-Bayati [official profile], Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations, said the country is considering joining the ICC.

Britain is one of the State Parties to the Rome Statute [list] but the US has historically opposed the ICC, making it unlikely Bush or any other American citizens could face trial at the Hague. The UK Sunday Telegraph has more.

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