US Threatens International Criminal Court Over Afghan War Crimes Investigations

Bolton: ICC is already dead to us

As the International Criminal Court (ICC) moves to investigate US war crimes committed during the 17-year long war in Afghanistan, the Trump Administration is moving to position itself in direct opposition not just to the investigations, but the court itself.

National security adviser John Bolton says that the US will not only refuse to cooperate with the ICC, but that “for all intents and purposes, the ICC is already dead to us.” Which doesn’t mean the US isn’t going to move against them.

Rather, officials are suggesting that the US will block any judges and prosecutors from entering the US, freeze any ICC funds in the US financial system, and impose sanctions against the ICC and its officials.

The US has long resisted ICC oversight of its myriad war crimes and misdeeds, and has long insisted that Americans are immune from ICC prosecution. This has tended to work, as the ICC has so far not made any serious moves against any US citizens.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.