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Belgium stands by divisive war crimes law

Belgium stuck by its controversial war crimes law on Friday despite demands for radical change by US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

The law, which empowers Belgian courts to try foreigners for human rights crimes no matter where they were committed, has been criticized by many countries but most vociferously by Washington.

Rumsfeld on Thursday vowed to freeze spending on NATO's new headquarters in Brussels unless the law was revoked.

Belgium had earlier shown signs of buckling after Defense Minister Andre Flahaut said the universal jurisdiction law could perhaps be revised for a second time.

But Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt told a news conference there was no problem with the recently amended law and abuse of it for political reasons was now impossible.

"I am convinced that within a few weeks, or months at most, it will be clear to everyone that public abuse is no longer possible on the basis of the existing law," Verhofstadt said.

Lawsuits have been brought against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and a string of US officials, including US commander in Iraq Tommy Franks, former president George Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell and 1991 Gulf War general Norman Schwarzkopf.

Parliament recently watered down the law to send lawsuits to a defendant's country if it had a legal system that could handle a complaint properly.

Belgium last month referred the lawsuit against Franks and a US Marine colonel to the US.

Verhofstadt said on Friday Belgium initiated steps this week to transfer to Israel a probe into the role of an Israeli general, Amos Yaron, in the 1982 massacre of Palestinians in Lebanon, and to transfer the complaints against Bush, Powell and Schwarzkopf.

Rumsfeld told reporters in Brussels on Thursday: "By passing this law, Belgium has turned its legal system into a platform for divisive politicized lawsuits against her NATO allies."

He said until the matter was resolved the US contribution to spending on the new headquarters -- about one quarter of the total cost -- would be frozen.

The move played on perennial Belgian fears that Washington may press for NATO's headquarters to be moved, robbing the country of prestige it enjoys as host to the 19-nation alliance.

The US has been angry with Belgium for opposing its invasion of Iraq and joining France and Germany in blocking NATO plans to boost Turkey's defenses on its border with Iraq.
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