UN regrets US decision to cut peacekeepers

The United Nations has expressed regret at the US Government's decision to begin withdrawing peacekeepers from some UN missions because of the Security Council's refusal to approve blanket immunity from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Pentagon has said seven personnel will be removed from the UN mission in Eritrea and Ethiopia and two liaison officers will be withdrawn from the Kosovo mission.

But 2,000 US troops will stay in Kosovo because they are covered under a separate immunity agreement.

"Our Department of Peacekeeping confirmed it has been informed it [the United States] would withdraw some personnel from some UN peacekeeping operations," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

"We have taken note of that decision with regret."

The Bush administration is bitterly opposed to the new court and rescinded former president Bill Clinton's signature to the tribunal's statutes, arguing that it would expose US soldiers and officials to frivolous law suits.

"In these two particular cases it was determined ... that the risk was not appropriate to our forces, and so they were withdrawn," Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said.

Mr Di Rita said that all UN peacekeeping missions with a US presence are under review.

On June 23, the US withdrew a UN resolution to renew the blanket exemption, which expired on July 1, after it became clear it lacked the votes to pass it.

UN secretary-general Kofi Annan said the resolution violated international law.

Richard Dicker, counsel for Human Rights Watch, said: "US service members were not at risk This move provides no additional protection. It is driven by ideology."

Nations ratifying the treaty can turn their own citizens, as well as citizens from other states, over to the court for a crime committed on their soil.

Neither Ethiopia nor Eritrea has ratified the treaty and Kosovo is under UN jurisdiction.

-- Reuters

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