MEDIA REACTION - INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC)

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001909 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA, PM, INL STATE FOR INR/R/MR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OPRC CI SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION - INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC) On September 7, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record "El Mercurio" (circ. 129,000) ran an editorial entitled, "ICC and Military Assistance." Quotes: "The Senate has shown common sense and justified pragmatism by resisting the pressures for a rapid decision to approve the Rome Statute that creates the International Criminal Court (ICC). Legislators from across the political spectrum have conditioned approval of the treaty on a review of its impact on U.S military assistance programs.... Some information shows that the economic effects of the cancellation of U.S. military cooperation programs would not be significant...but the fact that...there is a cost means that Congress must learn about it before voting. There are also other elements that cannot be ignored. For example, the threat that Chile would disadvantage itself compared to other countries in the region, which have signed agreements with the U.S., have a significant U.S. military assistance in supplies to fight narcotics trafficking, or have preferential access to these supplies, such as Argentina because of its non-NATO ally status. There is no question that it is important for our national security to avoid exposing ourselves to restrictions that affect acquisitions, services, and military material from the United States.... The technologically justified decision of previous administrations to rely on U.S. material for national defense calls for preventing the creation of obstacles for our supplies.... Our legislators and national leaders are acting responsibly, taking into account the impact that the approval of the Rome Statue could have...because it is a decision that affects our sovereignty and national defense. Acting hastily based on ideological motives could prove very costly to Chile." KELLY