Dear reader, online ads enable us to deliver the journalism you value. Please support us by taking a moment to
WASHINGTON: The United States threatened on Monday to arrest and sanction judges and other officials of the International Criminal Court if it moves to charge any American who served in Afghanistan with war crimes.
White House National Security Adviser John Bolton called the Hague-based rights body “unaccountable” and “outright dangerous” to the United States, Israel and other allies, and said any probe of US service members would be “an utterly unfounded, unjustifiable investigation”.
“If the court comes after us, Israel or other US allies, we will not sit quietly,” Bolton said.
He said the US was prepared to slap financial sanctions and criminal charges on officials of the court if they proceed against any Americans.
“We will ban its judges and prosecutors from entering the United States. We will sanction their funds in the US financial system, and we will prosecute them in the US criminal system,” he added.
“We will do the same for any company or state that assists an ICC investigation of Americans,” he said.
John Bolton made the comments in a speech in Washington to the Federalist Society, a powerful association of legal conservatives.
Detainee abuse
Bolton pointed to an ICC prosecutor’s request in November last year to open an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by the US military and intelligence officials in Afghanistan, especially over the abuse of detainees.
Neither Afghanistan nor any other government party to the ICC’s Rome statute has requested an investigation, Bolton said.
He said the ICC could formally open the investigation “any day now”. He also cited a recent move by Palestinian leaders to have Israeli officials prosecuted at the ICC for human rights violations.
“The United States will use any means necessary to protect our citizens and those of our allies from unjust prosecution by this illegitimate court,” Bolton said.
“We will not cooperate with the ICC. We will provide no assistance to the ICC. We certainly will not join the ICC. We will let the ICC die on its own.”
The condemnation of the ICC added to the White House’s rejection of many supranational institutions and treaties the president does not believe benefit the United States.
Bolton also condemned the record of the court since it formally started up in 2002, and argued that most major nations had not joined.
Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2018
Comments (71) Closed
Lawless AMERICA...
Arrogance at its best by the so called champion of human rights and sole user of Nuclear Bomb in entire history of mankind.
Why? Is USA above the law?
Shameful!
Why?? Do they are above the law made by themselves on one hand US justice department threatening other countries involving war crimes but when matter comes to their own scale of punishment is molded in such a way that suits them. This is unacceptable at all otherwise we are bound to acknowledge the proverb "might is right".
The US reaction seems typical of a nation which is guilty of war crimes.
Another turn of Bush era. The US is violated those international protocols that she has been promoting for the last century. This is end of the US advocacy of liberal institutionalism.
what re the americans hiding? Killing of civilians, women and children, and collateral deaths and killings. Every Americans are angels.Bullying the ICJ. The guilty run, use due process, and hide.
United States, Israel and other allies (including India).
so much for justice for all.. if you have not committed any crime.. chill! in other words.. ICC is awesome if it follows your instructions.. and it is illegitimate once it wants to prosecute the ones who have committed war crimes??
No it's not everyone is accountable to law. America has done war crimes this is the fact and it's to true to many other nations of the world. Shouting and blaming others will not work.
What else you expect from a country whose sole purpose is exploitation of weak in the name of reforms.
The US is setting wrong culture of defiance in the global justice and politics...
Good going. The law is eqaul for everyone. Just the Americans, don't fall in this category.
Might is right. Such comments and probable actions may pave a moral way for other nations to solidify their status, either economically or militarily, to protect themselves from any such a bullying state.
No more drama
Let us see who wins now .ICC or govt of America.
Full dictatorship!
the same court of justice has prosecuted several week states in the past with war crimes and america was the reason behind. Now look what happen when they are being investigated. One thing is clear. Power of the world is being shifted. There was no one in the past who has dared america after world wars.
Arrogance and defiance least appreciated. US once again sets double standards of justice and fair play.
Another small step toward their downfall
The inevitable is happening - Isreal is sinking a superpower (i.e. USA) along with it
Evil personified
«The United States threatened on Monday to arrest and sanction judges and other officials of the International Criminal Court...»
This is something Adolf Hitler would have done.
This so called democracy is only a drama. We MUST put our nation and national interest first, everything else is secondary.
If US doesn't agree to UN, why don't THEY quit UN? Let rest of members States of UN decide whether to go with US or UN.
This is the justice US ha for the world and it wOnders y ppl hate her
Thugs and criminals do not recognise courts.
Cos international policeman is above the law!
So, Americans can commit any crimes against humanity and get away free without being charged and punished for their misdeeds? The world bodies should decide when this threat puts their authority and accountability and control systems?
Outrageous!
And they keep asking why does the rest of the world hate them so
However, The US fully supports ICC in carrying out any sort of investigations against Muslim Countries like Iran etc.
Rogue mafia state, unaccountable and above the law, shamless, disgraceful and insult to the civilised world.
Mother of all mafias.....
Looks like might is always right. In the first place, it appears that both the wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) were based on false flags.
This attitude is unacceptable. All armies must be answerable for their actions under human rights laws.
Just disgusting
@anand Who is drama? ICC or US government?
I guess what he means is ICC was formed only to serve cases against people of non-Euro origin.
US in particular, the west and the Zionist entity in general have always been above the law from day one, that was the whole purpose of international law, a potent legal tool to be applied on the rest to serve the national interest of the west and the Zionist entity. The very establishment of Zionist entity is against internal law. It is the same when it comes to the financial system, all rigged to serve the west. Wake up Asia, Africa and Latin America, stand up to the evil rigged rule based order imposed upon the world.
Back to being bully. What else is expected.
international Mafia....................
Adolf Hitler could not have said it better then Bolton. War criminals hate ICC. Americans must at least feel some shame in private as their country is involved in war crimes.
This is sinful,and they are trying to hide behind their might, shameful,the first ones to cry about anything but hide when they are called to account.
Where there's smoke, there is fire! US forces committed heinous crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in Syria no doubt. This move is simply to shield them form criminal prosecution outside the US, which may yet prove to be more embarrassing for the US.
If you have no done no wrong, you will not fear any court. US is guilt beyond a doubt of War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity.
Shameful stance of the US.
The closet is definitely stacked with millions of innocent skeletons!
The Global Gangsters. Without fixing them how can the world become peacefu?.
America's double standards on human rights when it comes to its own record.
Courts and judges themselves are also responsible for their falling credibility. They need to focus on their own job rather than somebody else's.
Real face of USA.
Welcome to the American Wild Wild West.
US arrogance
They are not members of the ICJ. In a case brought against them by Nicaragua, their mining of It's ports was found illegal and they were ordered to pay compensation. They ignored that ruling.
It is an aggression against the Justice system. This action has proved that might is right in this lawless world.
Bolton is threatening the judges! That is called rule of law in Trump presidency
“If the court comes after us, Israel or other US allies, we will not sit quietly,” Bolton said. Speaks a lot about them. They have the licence to kill and injure Afghans, Palestenians, Kashmiris, others in all possible ways.
That's how countries protect their citizens ... We should learn something from this !
The judges may kindly resist this bullying and exposed those who have committed war crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. It will be a big service to the humanity.
No one is above the law, US war crimes in Iraq should also be investigated.
It's high time and the right time for the international Criminal Court in Hague-Netherlands to immediately, thoroughly, completely and fully investigate wide-spread war crimes, brutal killings, rapes of innocent women, bombings and crimes against humanity committed by the attacking, invading and occupying armed forces of U.S., Israel and India, which in essence are still on-going since last 70 long years in Korea, Vietnam, Palestine, Iraq, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and india-held, India-attacked and India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
In no uncertain terms, US is proclaiming who the Boss is and there is nothing anybody can do about it, other than to fall in line.
Trump is worse than Escobar.
Atrocities in Afghanistan and Indian held Kashmir should be challenged in the International Court of Justice. Culprits and culprits States should be prosecuted.
So much for the land of the free.....!
They are showing their true colours - avaricious and rapacious colonialists.
Has anyone heard of such language used against the judges by any state?
not surprising since this is the definition of respect that trump has. For him being freely able to abuse power, bully and scorn without resistance are the signs of respect. so, no surprises here
Do America accept same from other countries too
Pathetic Americans cold blooded terrorists of war crimes must be tried by ICC irrespective of their power and threats. ICC must bring american war crimes to world stage.
ICC better take it seriously.
Go, ICC go, All the civilized people of the world are behind you.