War criminals, bloggers face justice

The International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, has issued its first arrest warrants. The five sought are leading members of the Lord's Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebel group reported to have killed thousands of civilians and to have abducted tens of thousands of children, forcing them to become soldiers or sex slaves. The Lord's Resistance Army is led by Joseph Kony, a religious fanatic who claims to be able to channel spirits and who reportedly wants to establish a theocratic government in Uganda, based on the Bible and the Ten Commandments. The ICC is a permanent tribunal, established in 2002 to prosecute individuals alleged to have committed war crimes, genocide, or crimes against humanity. Canada played a leading role in the establishment of the Court. The ICC is fiercely opposed by the Bush administration, which refuses to recognize its authority.

And speaking of channelling spirits, the White House is now denying a report that Bush said God told him to invade Iraq. No wonder they're afraid the ICC may prosecute Americans.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, two bloggers have been sentenced to jail for posting remarks deemed racist.