WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – The president imposed sanctions on some members of the International Criminal Court. The move is pushing back on what his administration says are unjust investigations into war crimes allegations against American service members in Afghanistan. President Trump signed the executive order Wednesday.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo explained, “We’re authorizing the imposition of economic sanctions against ICC officials directly engaged in ICC efforts to investigate U.S. personnel or allied personnel against that allied state’s consent.”
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said, “Rest assured that the men and women of the United States armed forces will never appear before the ICC. Nor will they ever be subjected to the judgments of unaccountable international bodies.”
U.S. Attorney General William Barr said, “We are concerned that foreign powers like Russia are manipulating the ICC in pursuit of their own agenda.”
The lead prosecutor’s office has said it has determined that there is a reasonable basis to believe that war crimes were committed by members of the U.S. armed forces in Afghanistan and by members of the CIA in secret detention facilities in Afghanistan and in other countries, particularly between 2003 and 2004.
A lower chamber of the Hague court blocked the investigation last year concluding, among other reasons, that its chances of success and of prosecution were “extremely limited”.
An appeals court overturned that ruling in March, allowing the investigation to proceed.
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