The fuses have been lit and the explosions are all but certain. The question is: Will enough citizens awake in time and compel our elected officials to take the necessary action to protect America from the blast? No, we are not referring to another imminent attack by Osama bin Laden’s minions.

The explosive is not TNT, ANFO, or RDX. It is labeled "ICC," for International Criminal Court, the new UN global tribunal set to go into operation July 1st. It is aimed not at specific buildings or individuals, but at blowing away the entire constitutional system that protects our rights as individuals.

Contrary to media reports, White House pronouncements, and congressional statements, recent measures taken by the Bush administration have provided no real and lasting protection against the ICC’s threats to our liberties. Indeed, the misperception that current U.S. halfway measures and rhetoric afford genuine safety actually compounds our danger by lulling the American people and Congress into a false sense of security and providing a disincentive to take timely and effective action now, when it is most needed.

What is it about the ICC, specifically, that is causing so much concern? The dangers are many, but can be grouped into three main categories:

• The fatal flaws in the Statute of Rome that created and governs the Court;

• The subversive process of "evolving" international law, of which the ICC is a part; and

• The radical actors dominating this process — including despotic countries, the United Nations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and activist legal scholars. (Those actors not only favor empowering the UN with global authority, but also despise the United States.)