Already engaged in an unprecedented offensive against the International Criminal Court, Donald Trump further raised his tone on Thursday by announcing economic sanctions to dissuade the jurisdiction from prosecuting American soldiers for their involvement in the conflict in Afghanistan.
We can’t just sit idly by while our guys are threatened by a phony court
“The President has authorized economic sanctions against officials of the International Criminal Court who are said to be directly involved in any effort to investigate or charge American soldiers without the consent of the United States“the White House announced in a statement.
“We can’t just sit back while our guys are threatened by a phony court, and we won’t“Then hammered the head of the American diplomacy Mike Pompeo, appearing before the press with his colleagues of Defense and Justice as well as the presidential adviser to national security, during a demonstration of media force.
Attack on ICC aims to deny justice for victims
This is a direct response to the appeal decision made in March by the court in The Hague, the Netherlands, to authorize the opening of an investigation into war crimes and crimes against the humanity in Afghanistan despite opposition from the Trump administration.
Mike Pompeo at the time denounced a decision “thoughtless“, especially as it intervened”just a few days“after the signing of a historic agreement between the United States and the Afghan Taliban.
The investigation desired by the Court’s prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, is aimed inter alia at abuses allegedly committed by American soldiers in the country where the United States has been waging the longest war since 2001 since their history. Allegations of torture have also been made against the CIA.
“This attack on the ICC aims to deny all justice for victims of serious crimes in Afghanistan, Israel or Palestine“said Andrea Prasow of Human Rights Watch.”Countries Supporting International Justice Should Publicly Oppose This Blatant Attempt To Obstruct“.
The independent and impartial exercise of its mandate
The judges of the ICC had initially refused to authorize this investigation after an unprecedented first threat of sanctions from Washington, which is not a member of this jurisdiction, unlike Kabul.
President Trump also authorized the extension of visa restrictions on officials and family members on Thursday. Prosecutor Bensouda’s US visa had already been revoked after the first threats of sanctions from the United States.
At the time, the ICC, responsible for trying war crimes and crimes against humanity in particular, said it was “committed to the independent and impartial exercise of its mandate“and”act strictly within the legal framework defined by the Rome Statute“.
This treaty entered into force in 2002 and has since been ratified by more than 120 countries.
US accuses ICC of being manipulated by Russia
The White House said it had “repeatedly rejected” the ICC’s attempts to expand its jurisdiction to the United States military.
“The acts of the International Criminal Court constitute an attack on the rights of the American people and threaten to encroach on our national sovereignty“said the US presidency, denouncing further”Corruption” to the “highest levels“of the court of The Hague, in particular within the services of the prosecutor.
Washington’s fierce opposition also concerns investigations “politically motivated“against Israel, who may be the subject of war crimes investigations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Dramatizing the issue, Justice Minister Bill Barr accused “foreign powers like Russia“from”manipulate“the ICC”to serve their own interests“According to the White House adviser for national security, Robert O’Brien, these”manipulations“foreigners specifically aim at”to encourage“prosecutions of the US military in Afghanistan.
“The United States will continue to use all means necessary to protect its citizens and our allies from unjust charges“warned the White House.
The European Union “very concerned”
The head of European diplomacy said on Thursday “very concerned“by the decision of the American president.”The announcement that President Trump has signed an executive order authorizing US sanctions against International Criminal Court employees involved in any investigation into the activities of American forces, possibly war crimes in Afghanistan, is a matter of great concern. great concern“, said Spaniard Josep Borrell.
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