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ICC-US-DIPLOMACY-JUSTICE LEAD
ICC ‘undeterred’ after US sanctions threat
THE HAGUE, Sept 11, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The International Criminal Court on
Tuesday said its work would continue “undeterred” after Washington threatened
to prosecute its officials if Americans are charged with war crimes committed
in Afghanistan.
“The ICC, as a court of law, will continue to do its work undeterred, in
accordance with those principles and the overarching idea of the rule of
law,” the tribunal said in a statement.
The Hague-based court’s response comes a day after the United States
threatened to arrest and sanction court officials should they move to charge
any American who served in Afghanistan with war crimes.
White House National Security Advisor 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.
The US was prepared to slap financial sanctions and criminal charges on
officials of the court if they proceed against any Americans, he added.
But in response, the ICC declared itself an “independent and impartial
judicial institution”.
It also stressed that it would only investigate and prosecute crimes when
the states will not or can not do so.
The Hague-based ICC was set up in 2002 with jurisdiction to investigate
and prosecute the world’s worst crimes including genocide, war crimes and
crimes against humanity.
The court however does not have the capacity to arrest suspects and
depends on member states for their cooperation.
The United States has not signed up to the court and in 2002 Congress
passed a law enabling Washington to invade the Netherlands to liberate any US
citizen held by the court.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1822 hrs