Manifest Destiny: The Relationship between the United States and the International Criminal Court in a Time of International Upheaval

Ever since the negotiations that culminated in the signing of the
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "the Court"),
the approach taken by various Administrations in the United States has
been a reflection of domestic politics and a skeptical foreign policy establishment. In the closing moths of the Clinton Administration, the United
States actively participated and subsequently signed the Rome Statute. This
active interest in the creation of the Court was soon upended by the victory
of George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election. One of the platforms
upon which Bush had originally run was to end all types of nation-building
around the world. By extension, this also meant a retreat from the United
States' international responsibilities. The terrorist attacks on September 11,
2001 added a new dimension to the relationship between the United States
and the committed signatories of the Rome Statute.