Pentagon accused of blocking effort to hand Russia war crimes evidence to ICC
Defence department reportedly unwilling to share intelligence over fears precedent could be set against US soldiers
Julian Borger in Washington
Wed 8 Mar 2023 18.42 EST
The Pentagon has been accused of blocking the sharing of US intelligence with the international criminal court (ICC) about Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
The Biden White House and state department have been a proponent of cooperation with the Hague-based ICC, as a means of holding Russian forces accountable for widespread war crimes, but the defence department is firmly opposed on the grounds that the precedent could eventually be turned against US soldiers.
The New York Times quoted current and former officials as saying Pentagon resistance was the obstacle. It reported that the national security council (NSC) convened a meeting of senior officials on 3 February to try to resolve the dispute, but that the defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, did not budge. Joe Biden has yet to give a final decision.
The Republican senator Lindsey Graham, who was behind a congressional resolution urging US support for the court over Ukraine, also blamed the Pentagon.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/08/pentagon-international-criminal-court-russia-war-crimes
