The Trump administration has again refused to let U.S. troops accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan stand trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague in The Netherlands.
President Donald Trump authorized U.S. sanctions and additional visa restrictions against ICC personnel in his latest attempt to bully the court into halting an ongoing investigation into alleged war crimes by U.S. military troops in Afghanistan.
A new Trump executive order revealed Thursday said the U.S. will sanction any individual that has directly engaged in any effort by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any United States personnel without the consent of the United States. The same sanctions will also apply to persons that have attempted the same against a U.S. ally without that country's consent.
Trump's sanctions against ICC officials follows a decision by ICC appeals judges last March authorizing an investigation into allegations of war crimes by U.S. military and intelligence personnel, the Afghan National Army and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The Trump administration has been engaged in a war to avoid war crimes trials involving U.S. troops since it came to power in 2017. In April 2019, the Trump administration revoked the visa of Fatou Bensouda, the ICC prosecutor, ahead of Bensouda's investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by U.S. forces during the War in Afghanistan.
The ICC authorized the investigation only this March. Trump's new sanctions against the ICC are retaliation for this ICC investigation. Bensouda will also investigate potential crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinians.
Israeli strongman Benjamin Netanyahu is one of Trump's closest allies, which explains the proviso in Trump's executive order applying the same sanctions to U.S. allies investigated by the ICC. Trump and his administration have long rejected the authority of the ICC mainly because it sees the ICC's right to investigate war crimes violates the U.S. Constitution.
The White House said the ICC's actions are an attack on the rights of the American people. It also claims any investigation of American war crimes threatens to infringe upon U.S. national sovereignty. It said Trump's executive order makes clear, the United States will continue to use all means necessary to protect its soldiers and allies from unjust prosecution by the ICC.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted the ICC as a kangaroo court that threatens U.S. military personnel. He said the economic sanctions against the ICC will be determined on a case-by- case basis. He also said visa restrictions will include family members of ICC judges and other officials.
