Subject: Rogue U.S.? Much of the rhetoric coming from President Bush's administration on the war on terror focuses on rogue nations, states or regimes. The administration is thinking about North Korea and Iran when using these terms. However, a growing feeling around the world is that the United States is a rogue nation. The Bush administration removed itself from the International Criminal Court. While much of the world approved the treaty that created the court, the United States was one of only seven countries to vote against it. Among those joining the United States were China, Libya and the Sudan. In 2002, the administration signed a law that authorizes military force to free those held by the court. This for a body that would enforce international human rights. The Kyoto treaty is an international effort to stem the flow of green-house gases that are creating global warming. Scientific studies have found that human activities are a major factor in the production of green-house gases (which the United States is the largest producer of). Effects of this are already being seen around the globe, from the thawing of permafrost in the Arctic to the effects on marine life. The effects have begun to impact the world's economy. The administration's ignoring of the scientific reality is an affront to our future. Is thumbing one's nose at the world in legal and environmental matters the action of a leader or a rogue? Rich