alt Hacker NewsUS announces new sanctions on top ICC figures
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> Those sanctions were issued in retaliation for ICC investigations into US personnel in Afghanistan and for warrants the court issued against top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Oh no! An international body is taking action against some of the worst criminals on the planet? I'm glad the U.S. is taking actions to prevent those people from doing their job. America is doing great!
The relationship between the ICC and the "great powers" is an interesting one. It sort of separates the normal alliances of "west" and "non-west" alliances, and reshapes them into powerful and non-powerful. And it seems this conflict is ongoing.
Apart from Europe, the number large, powerful non-signatory countries is pretty significant: US, China, Russia, India, Iran, Saudi, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, and more.
I've always thought it is interesting that the concept of international law is by definition in conflict with the de facto anarchy of international relations. I've always had mixed opinions on the topic, simply because you can look at an institution like the UN, and see that it functions much more successfully as a simple forum than a deliberative body. The idea that somehow we are going to implement something as difficult as a criminal court on an international basis seems... very idealistic. A court like this always seems sensible at first glance, but I'm not sure it can really exist effectively at all over any serious time horizon.
Well the rest of the world will dismantle the US hegemony "brick by brick". It may take decades but trust has been lost.
Research, investments and talents are all avoidingtä the US. AI won't save the US economy either as there is no moat as we can all see.
The current US administration really doesn't like accountability, and if the judges can't be bought they get mad at them. One day we will be back to normal. I hope I'll be around to see it, the degree to which we are sliding is more than a little bit worrisome.
About a year ago CBCs "About That" show did a 10min segment on the history of the US objections/support regarding the ICC, decent watch if you want a quick recap of the last 24 years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBW6DOss67w - Also, to a degree, the ICC is somewhat moot to the US directly: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Service-Members%27_Pr...
This is not really US doing it, as they would not care less, but Israel by proxy. ICC has never accused the US of anything.
> Rubio accused the court of being "a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate.
Interesting times indeed. The foreign affairs secretary of the most corrupt US administration cries foul of the ICC.
> Despite its significant global representation, dozens of governments are not parties to the ICC, including China, India, Israel, Russia, and the United States
What a great club to be in, ripe with war crimes and human rights abuses.
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The criminals are running the show.
"US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced sanctions against the president and a senior lawyer of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The move is the Trump administration's latest escalation in its campaign to "dismantle" the court which is empowered by more than 120 member countries to investigate war crimes."
The Trump administration is saying the quiet part out loud: they are pro war crimes.
No one is gonna come out and say "we're fascists who commit war crimes" but they spend a lot of time, money and effort fighting against antifascists and people who try to prevent war crimes. The purpose of a thing is what it does.
Khan (ICC prosecutor) said Lindsey Graham (US senator) told him during a May 2024 call:
"This court is for Africa and thugs like Putin. It is not for democracies like Israel and the United States of America."
Disgusting
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There is currently not a SINGLE American citizen under indictment, investigation, or facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC). The one case tied to US soldiers in Afghanistan was ended.
So why is the US doing this with such intensity right now?
( My question was rhetorical, you can see in the initial ICC sanctions from the Whitehouse it was all about Israel + Netanyahu: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/impo... )