William Helms: “I have worked with our colleague from Georgia, Senator Miller, to craft legislation to protect our soldiers and…”

“I have worked with our colleague from Georgia, Senator Miller, to craft legislation to protect our soldiers and officials from illegitimate prosecutions by the International Criminal Court. Senator Miller and I and Senators Lott, Warner, Hatch, Shelby, and Murkowski together introduced the American Service Members Protection Act on May 9 of this year. We have worked since that time with the administration to craft the pending amendment, and the administration favors this amendment quite strongly. Our soldiers and decisionmakers will be all the more exposed to the risk of illegitimate prosecution as they proceed with 'Operation Enduring Freedom,' as it has been named, against those who on September 11 committed mass murder against innocent American civilians. The pending amendment ensures that countries, or overzealous prosecutors and judges, will never be able to use this court to persecute American military personnel carrying out war against terrorism. At this time of national mobilization to fight terrorists who killed thousands of American citizens in New York and Pennsylvania and right near us at the Pentagon, there is a consensus in Congress that we should give the President the tools he needs to carry out the mission.”