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https://theconversation.com/the-trump-administration-wants-to-dismantle-the-international-criminal-court-can-it-287568>
"On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote a blistering missive in the
Wall Street Journal unveiling plans to dismantle the International Criminal
Court (ICC). He claimed it threatened “US soldiers, police officers, Border
Patrol agents and elected leaders” under international laws that “we neither
consent to nor control”.
The State Department then unveiled the steps it would take to target the court,
which include pressuring allies to resist ICC attempts to prosecute Americans,
travel bans on ICC officials, and increased sanctions on the court.
The State Department called the court an “intolerable threat to US
sovereignty”.
But Rubio’s claims show a wilful ignorance of international law, out of step
with someone of his office.
For example, the four core international crimes under the ICC’s jurisdiction –
genocide, aggression, crimes against humanity and war crimes – are considered a
“peremptory norm”. This means they are universally applicable to all states,
and no country can choose to violate or ignore them.
Ironically, Rubio is also seeking to override the sovereignty of all the states
that have joined the ICC. As Kenneth Roth, the former head of Human Rights
Watch, has said, Rubio is ignoring “the sovereign right of other nations to
invoke the ICC for crimes committed on their territory.”
So, what exactly can the US do to the court, and why do these threats matter?"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
