American Servicemembers' Protection Act of 2001

The American Servicemembers' Protection Act of 2001 is designed to shield United States military personnel and elected officials from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC), an organization the U.S. is not a member of. The bill prohibits federal, state, and local governments from cooperating with the ICC, including the extradition of U.S. citizens or the sharing of classified national security information with the court.

For citizens, the most significant aspect of this bill is the "all means necessary" clause, which authorizes the President to use military force to liberate any American or citizen of an allied country being held for trial by the ICC. Additionally, the bill restricts U.S. participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions unless the U.S. receives specific guarantees that its personnel will be immune from prosecution by the court. The legislation also limits military aid to countries that are members of the ICC, unless they sign bilateral agreements promising not to hand over U.S. personnel to the tribunal.