ICL News - 19 December 2012

• Yesterday, ICC Chamber II acquitted Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui of all charges against him, marking the third acquittal at the international criminal courts in recent months, following the acquittals of Croatian General Gotovina and Kosovar-Albanian Commander Haradinaj at the ICTY.   

• At the ECCC, the International Co-Investigating Judges have issued a statement regarding additional international crime sites in Case 004. 

• Gen Salim Idris, military commander of the Syrian rebels has asked again for defensive weapons, claiming that the war would be over in 1-3 months with such assistance being offered.  He warned that Assad's regime can and will use chemical weapons against his people.  And in a move which arguably signals a loss of confidence in Assad's regime, Russia announced that it was sending warships to Syria, apparently to evacuate its citizens.

• State Dept. spokesperson Victoria Nuland has called Israel's decision to build more settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem "provocative" (whereas William Hague referred to all Israeli settlements as "illegal under international law).  '

• The US has blacklisted two M23 DRC rebel leaders, freezing any assets in the US and prohibiting any Americans from transacting with the men.  Ms. Nuland stated that they are still considering whether to sanction senior Rwandan officials.

• A resolution on American-and French-backed intervention in Mali may occur by the end of the week.  Humanitarian organisations have estimated that intervention would displace at least 700,000 persons.