War crimes deal falls short of US demand

Rome - A take-it-or-leave-it deal on a proposed world war crimes court, published today, appeared to fall short of the US's demands…

Rome - A take-it-or-leave-it deal on a proposed world war crimes court, published today, appeared to fall short of the US's demands but would be enough to satisfy France, delegates said.

The package, due to be put to a UN conference for adoption later in the day, would allow states signing the treaty to opt out of the court's jurisdiction over war crimes for seven years. Washington had demanded cast-iron guarantees that US citizens and servicemen could never come before the court.