In an effort to threaten everyone into not investigating US or Israeli war crimes in the International Criminal Court, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says anyone involved in such probes will lose their visa and may be sanctioned.
The Washington war hawk said that action had to be taken because any investigation into alleged war crimes and torture committed by the USA would be a threat to US rule of law.
Visas will be pulled or denied for anyone who has been involved in or even requested an ICC investigation of “any US personnel.”
The ICC is currently mulling over a request to investigate possible war crimes committed by the USA in Afghanistan in the course of the nearly 20-year conflict which has left over 100,000 Afghans dead.
The international court prosecutor’s office says it has “reasonable basis” to believe that “war crimes and crimes against humanity” were, and continue to be, committed by foreign NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Pompeo openly stated that the action was intended to get the court to drop the probe or potential investigation, and that Washington was ready to further increase the pressure if they do not follow suit.
The International Crime Court responded later in the day saying they would continue their work “undeterred” by Pompeo’s aggressive statement, and act in accordance with international law rather than Washington’s bribery and extortion threats.
Following up on National Security Advisor John Bolton’s threats against the court last year, Pompeo said that action had already been taken against members of the Hague-based court for daring to look into potential crimes committed by the US military.
Washington also stepped up to protect its close ally Israel from the threat of prosecution for war crimes against Palestinians.
While the USA signed the initial document which created the ICC in 2000, it has since refused to actually become a member, and many American politicians see the court’s ability to hold the country accountable for its actions abroad as a threat to national sovereignty.
RT. com / ABC Flash Point News 2019.
