The European Union agreed on 30 September to allow its members to sign bilateral accords with the US that would exempt US soldiers from being tried by the International War Crimes Tribunal, so long as those soldiers are tried in US courts for the same crimes. This solves an international impasse over the issue, but it remains to be seen what will happen the first time US military personnel are found innocent of such charges. The US had been concerned that US soldiers could be subjected to politically-motivated monkey trials and convicted of war crimes when their bombs go off target.--Stephen V Cole