ICC goes after Kenya politicos

The International Criminal Court is making Kenyan politicians very nervous, after saying it would pursue charges against those suspected of masterminding Kenya's 2008 post-election violence in which more than 1,000 people died. The court says it wants to prosecute the worst offenders, set up a special tribunal through Kenya's parliament to try lesser perpetrators, and form a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Kenya was supposed to deal with all of this itself, but with political chaos confounding its unity government, numerous attempts to kick-start the process have foundered. In July, former United Nations chief Kofi Annan gave the ICC names of 10 suspects said to include cabinet ministers, causing panic among politicians. This was followed in past weeks by a letter from the US government to 15 Kenyan politicos, telling them to engage in reform or face unspecified action.