Appeal Upheld: ICC Allows Opening of Afghan War Investigation

[TomSea]

And now, ICC, International Criminal Court, may look at the USA among others, for "war crimes" in Afghanistan. I would think we would just shun them.

Appeal Upheld: ICC Allows Opening of Afghan War Investigation
By Associated Press
Updated March 05, 2020

 THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court gave the green light Thursday for prosecutors to open an investigation targeting the Taliban, Afghan forces and U.S. military and intelligence personnel for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The global court upheld an appeal by prosecutors against a pretrial chamber’s rejection last April of Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s request to open a probe in Afghanistan.

Pretrial judges last year acknowledged that widespread crimes have been committed in Afghanistan, but rejected the investigation saying it wouldn’t be in the interests of justice because the likely lack of cooperation meant convictions would ultimately be unlikely.

More: https://www.voanews.com/europe/appeal-upheld-icc-allows-opening-afghan-war-investigation

...

The Florida Republican said Wednesday on Fox News that he thinks the likeliest outcome of a U.S. troop withdrawal would be Taliban rule but also said having U.S. forces remain indefinitely was not a “feasible” solution.

“I don’t think we can trust them,” Rubio said of the Islamic militant group. The U.S. overthrew the Taliban in 2001 and disbanded the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. A peace deal was signed on Saturday by U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, although that deal has already run into some major obstacles.

“The bottom line is that the Taliban, what they want, is to institute a severe version of sharia law and no elections. That’s what they want. They have the battlefield advantage over the government of Afghanistan," Rubio said.

More: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/thats-what-they-want-rubio-warns-afghanistan-troop-withdrawal-will-likely-result-in-sharia-under-taliban-rule

[TomSea]

US To Impose Visa Restrictions On ICC Personnel

Pompeo says US will revoke or deny visas to ICC personnel who attempt to investigate alleged abuses by US forces in Afghanistan.

The United States will impose visa restrictions on people responsible for any International Criminal Court probe, a move aimed at preventing actions against US and allies in Afghanistan, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday.

“I’m announcing a policy of US visa restrictions on those individuals directly responsible for any ICC investigation of US personnel,” Pompeo said at a news conference in Washington.

Pompeo’s remarks come as the US National Security Advisor John Bolton in a speech on last September threatened the ICC and its staff with sanctions if it proceeds investigations into alleged war crimes by American troops in Afghanistan.

Read more at: https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/us-impose-visa-restrictions-icc-personnel

[PeteS in CA]

As long as the ICC continues to allow itself to be used as a weapon against US foreign policy and sovereignty, the proper response to the ICC is to F-off!

[TomSea]

US Outraged At 'Reckless' ICC Ruling on Afghan War Crimes | Voice of America
www.voanews.com
ISLAMABAD - The United States severely criticized the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday for authorizing an investigation into war crimes allegedly committed by American armed forces and other parties to the conflict in Afghanistan.

“This is a truly breathtaking action by an unaccountable political institution, masquerading as a legal body,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in Washington just hours after the ICC announced its
ruling.

“The ICC today stumbled into a sorry affirmation of every denunciation made by its harshest critics,” he said. 

https://www.voanews.com/usa/us-outraged-reckless-icc-ruling-afghan-war-crimes

We have been through this before, even I believe during Obama's terms.

[PeteS in CA]

We have been through this before, even I believe during Obama's terms.

And during GW Bush's. The ICC has been allowing itself to be a weapon against the US WoT. And thus should be flipped off.

[Fishrrman]

Ignore them.
If they persist, tell 'em to kiss off...

[rangerrebew]

Investigation into war crimes by Taliban, Afghan military and US forces given green light by international court

    Stephanie van den Berg, Reuters
    21 hours ago


THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Judges at the International Criminal Court on Thursday ruled that an investigation into alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan by the Taliban, Afghan military and U.S. forces may proceed.

The decision, which comes days after the United States agreed to pull its troops from the long-running conflict, overturns a lower court decision and opens the way for prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to launch a full investigation, despite U.S. government opposition.

"The Appeals chamber considers it appropriate to...authorize the investigation," said presiding Judge Piotr Hofmanski, noting that Bensouda's preliminary examination had found reasonable grounds to believe war crimes were committed in Afghanistan and that the court has jurisdiction.

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/afghanistan-war-crimes-investigation-hague

[rangerrebew]

From what I've read, it seems the international court is driven more by political considerations than the law, just like the courts in the US. 

[PeteS in CA]

https://www.cnsnews.com/article/international/patrick-goodenough/pompeo-vows-no-war-crimes-investigtion-us-afghanistan

Pompeo Vows No 'War Crimes' Investigtion of U.S. in Afghanistan; Slams ‘Renegade, Unlawful, So-Called Court’

(CNSNews.com) – Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday slammed a decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) judges to allow an investigation of alleged war crimes by the U.S. and others in the Afghan conflict to proceed, and suggested retaliatory steps will be taken.

He also said the U.S. had evidence indicating that “foreign parties” have sought to provide misinformation to the court.

“We will take all necessary measures to protect our citizens from this renegade, unlawful, so-called court,” Pompeo told reporters at the State Department.

“We’ve come to know this ICC as a truly political body. ..."

I like his style!