Ambass. David Scheffer on John Bolton’s Announcement of “Ugly and Dangerous” Punitive Actions again

[TomSea]

Ambass. David Scheffer on John Bolton’s Announcement of “Ugly and Dangerous” Punitive Actions against Judges, Prosecutors of Int’l Criminal Court
by Ambassador David Scheffer
September 10, 2018

Editor’s Note from Ryan Goodman: I asked Ambassador (ret.) David Scheffer, leading expert on the United States and International Criminal Court for a comment on John Bolton’s speech and the actions announced by the Trump Administration toward the Court. Stay tuned as well for an essay by another top expert Just Security’s Alex Whiting.]

John Bolton’s speech today isolates the United States from international criminal justice and severely undermines our leadership in bringing perpetrators of atrocity crimes to justice elsewhere in the world. The double standard set forth in his speech will likely play well with authoritarian regimes, which will resist accountability for atrocity crimes and ignore international efforts to advance the rule of law. This was a speech soaked in fear and Bolton sounded the message, once again, that the United States is intimidated by international law and multilateral organizations. I saw not strength but weakness conveyed today by the Trump Administration.

Further, the speech may encourage States Parties, including the larger ones, to come to the defense of the International Criminal Court and not only rebut Bolton but respond with their own punitive measures against the United States. I doubt any will take this kind of pontificating abuse lying down. The value of American rhetoric has been cheapened by the Trump Administration. Foreign governments recognize that, particularly authoritarian ones bent on their own regressive, aggressive, and criminal designs. The Court stands for the rule of law on atrocity crimes, and that will not change. I assume many will come to its defense and thus strengthen the Court’s mandate.

Read more at: https://www.justsecurity.org/60678/ambass-david-scheffer-john-boltons-announcement-ugly-dangerous-punitive-actions-judges-prosecutors-intl-criminal-court/

Ex-Ambassador's wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Scheffer
True, he was a Clinton appointee, still, I think the war crimes in Rwanda deserved to be investigated, he helped the ICC set up the court to investigate it. Though, I have sympathy for the Serbs, there is surely, some question as to whether just gangster-types were running their war in Bosnia.

As ambassador, Scheffer participated in the creation of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and the Khmer Rouge tribunal. He also led the U.S. negotiating team in United Nations talks on the International Criminal Court.

I think Bolton's acts are merited but this still needs a thorough examination.

I've no idea who is behind "just security", the website from above. Generally, they look okay.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Eh, the reality is that if something truly horrible happens, ad hoc courts will be sufficient.  The huge problem with the ICC is that is a permanent, sitting court.  And that means it is inevitably going to be sticking its nose into issue that are not deserving of that attention.

It's the same basic problem you have with government regulatory agencies.  They exist to write regulations, so it should shock nobody that we're drowning in a sea of them.  It's their job to write more.

[DB]

The US constitution isn't superseded by any international body. Period. That is the issue.

[Frank Cannon]

This Commie stooge Dumbassador David Scheffer can blow it out his ass.