Fatou Bensouda Quotes
I think my track record speaks for myself... I have been endorsed by the African Union, but I am a prosecutor for 121 states parties and this is what I intend to be until the end of my mandate.
Bensouda, Fatou. "Press Conference by Prosecutor-Elect of International Criminal Court." United Nations, United Nations, 12 Dec. 2011.
The minister had refused to be pressured by the George W. Bush Administration to sign an agreement with the US agreeing never to turn over an American or a foreign national working for America to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Even if a Peruvian or other non-American were working for an American Agency as an informant, agent, or other role, the country could not respect the treaty obligations that they had already made with regard to the ICC. Peru was “punished” losing $4 million aid. Nations were so “punished” while the State Department was spending huge sums to remedy negative opinion that so many nations had developed for the US during the George W. Bush administration. See {585493},65901 & {585496}, for more quotations on this. The US did not join the ICC Treaty as in some countries political considerations and different ethical values have labeled some American legitimate behavior as criminal and have attempted to hold individuals responsible for carrying out lawful orders. So many foreigners could understand the United States not wanting to deny Americans and others in the United States the protection of the United States Constitution, there was ire at the US pressuring others to boycott the ICC and break their existing treaties.
There was reluctance throughout the government to avoid using “the G word.” See {41333}
It is a huge surprise for modern Republicans to discover that the great Republican President, Theodore Roosevelt, advocated strengthening the power of the World Court. 21st century Most Republicans consider this court and other international tribunals to be infringements on American sovereignty, and politicians who agree with Roosevelt as traitors.
South Africa, with the fall of apartheid, instead of arresting, trying, and sentencing the worst of the old regime, elected a truth commission approach instead.
This quotation has special historical significance in American political history. Conservative President Warren G. Harding first suggested that the United States join and recognize the authority of the International Court. Then Herbert Hoover, a Republican icon after his term of office, in his Inaugural Address, advocated the Court. However, many of his own party and some Democrats were opposed to the U. S. recognizing any international court. So Hoover bucked the leadership of his own party. The FDR administration in 1935 signed the protocol, but it was never ratified by the two thirds of the Senate that was needed to become American law. In the beginning of the 21st century, the Republican was rabidly in opposition to any International or world court even though Hoover and Harding were all for it.
This statement was made before the 2012 Syrian Revolution.
Fatou Bom Bensouda is a Gambian lawyer and international criminal law prosecutor.
