Today the U.S. Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues Stephen Rapp announced that the U.S. will be attending the International Criminal Court's Assembly of States Parties meeting as an observer, the first time the U.S. has attended since the Court's creation in 2002.  The meeting of the Court's members, which will be held from November 18-26 in The Hague, will focus on preparing for the upcoming May 2010 ICC Review Conference, at which amendments to the ICC's treaty will be considered.  The United States may attend the meeting as an observer without signing or ratifying the treaty.