The U.S. permitted the referral of the crimes in Darfur to the International Criminal Court last night, after an amendment was added that exempts Americans from the tribunal's jurisdiction.

The Bush administration has been vehemently opposed to the ICC in the past, but does this mark a turnaround in policy? Probably not.

Anne W. Patterson, the deputy United States ambassador to the United Nations, told the New York Times, "We decided not to oppose the resolution because of the need of the international community to work together in order to end the climate of impunity in Sudan."

While the passage of the resolution is good for the international community, it is yet another example of the U.S. separating itself from the rest of the world with the "We're better than you so the rules don't apply to us" attitude of the Bush administration.