U.S. Authority on Foreign Shores
Your editorial (Jan. 7) asked the question “How Far Can We Go?” in extending our legal authority over nationals of other countries.
The key point is that we have an increase in international crime. Gen. Manuel A. Noriega’s actions in Panama impacted the welfare of citizens in the United States. The terrorist who placed a bomb on an airplane in Frankfort, Germany, committed mass murder over Scotland. The world is not prepared to deal with international crime.
On Nov. 17, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution which declared the 1990s a Decade of International Law. There is a question of whether the U.N. now has the machinery to handle international law.
However, in 1988, the U.S. Congress authorized a United States Commission to Improve the Effectiveness of the United Nations. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration has ignored this commission and neglected to make any appointments. When (or if) the President finally makes appointments, they should be people who are well-versed in international law and committed to the proposition that we need a system of international criminal justice.
EDWARD C. PERRY II
Palm Springs
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