Rome - The United States said yesterday a proposed permanent court to try war crimes emerging at a UN conference would be "unacceptable" to two-thirds of the world.
The chief US delegate, Mr David Scheffer, told a news conference hours before the Canadian chairman was due to put a final compromise proposal to delegates: "We stand on the eve of the conference's conclusion without having found a solution. We fear that governments whose citizens make up at least two-thirds of the world's population will find the emerging text unacceptable."
However, President Bill Clinton, responding to an appeal from Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, said yesterday that he wanted a positive outcome to the conference. But human rights groups said the US stance was a threat to walk out.