The conflict between America and the International Criminal Court (ICC) has increased. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has threatened to demolish the ICC brick by brick. Rubio has accused the ICC of working at the behest of groups that are enemies of America. The Trump administration is trying to weaken the ICC by putting pressure on countries around the world.
According to a CNN report, the US State Department has deployed its entire government machinery to diplomatically isolate the ICC. The US is now directly putting pressure on countries that depend on US economic aid, where the US military is deployed, or which work closely with US security forces. America is not a member of ICC, it considers this court as a threat to itself. Let us know which crimes ICC investigates and in which cases America is afraid of action….
Pressure on countries supporting ICC
America wants the countries dependent on its help to say openly that they will not accept any decision or authority of the ICC on American soldiers and officers. Those countries which are refusing to do so, are being given strict warnings. Washington has made it clear that countries supporting the ICC may have to face visa cancellations, travel bans and new economic sanctions.
Why did America suddenly go after ICC?
This enmity between America and ICC is not new. Its roots go back to Donald Trump’s first term (2017 to 2021). At that time the ICC had started investigating alleged war crimes committed by American soldiers in Afghanistan. Since then, the Trump administration had imposed strict sanctions on many ICC officials trying to investigate American and Israeli military actions.
Many top American officials, including Marco Rubio, are now calling the governments of other countries directly. They are pressurizing the countries to leave the membership of ICC and immediately stop the funding given to this court. Even countries which are not members of ICC are being asked to use their diplomatic influence to support this campaign of America.
El Salvador, Iran and the war crimes controversy
There are many more complications in this diplomatic dispute. Marco Rubio has categorically denied that the US deportations to El Salvador or the US attacks on suspected drug smugglers at sea have violated any international law.
Recently, the human rights group Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) had demanded from the ICC to investigate America’s alleged war crimes in the case related to Iran. Marco Rubio rejected this demand outright, although he acknowledged that such actions could lead to the Court investigating America.
What is ICC and why is America afraid of it?
The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established in 2002. Its headquarters is in The Hague, Netherlands. Its job is to investigate genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the world. America is not a member: Currently 124 countries are members of ICC, but America, China, Russia and India are not its members.
America is so sensitive about its sovereignty that in 2002 it passed the American Service-Members Protection Act. It is jokingly called ‘The Hague Invasion Act’, because it gives the US President the right to launch a military attack on Hague if an American soldier is detained by the ICC. America argues that its priority is to protect its soldiers from politically motivated international lawsuits.
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