The United States has launched a government-wide campaign aimed at limiting the ability of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate or take action against American officials and military personnel.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, through the US State Department, announced the initiative on Monday, which includes plans for diplomatic pressure, possible sanctions and travel restrictions targeting ICC personnel and organisations linked to the court.
According to the State Department, the measures are intended to prevent what it described as the ICC’s “threat” to US sovereignty and its ability to target American officials and servicemen.
“The campaign will feature a whole-of-government response to systematically disable the ICC’s ability to operate, target American servicemen or officials, or otherwise threaten American sovereignty,” the State Department said.
The campaign, the Department added, will include efforts to persuade other countries to reject the ICC’s authority over American personnel, particularly nations that cooperate with the US military and law enforcement agencies or benefit from US security assistance.
Actions under consideration include diplomatic engagement with foreign governments, increased scrutiny of countries that continue to support the ICC while relying on US assistance, visa revocations and travel bans for ICC personnel, and additional sanctions against the court and affiliated organisations.
The dispute between Washington and the ICC centres on the court’s jurisdiction. The US has not joined the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC in 2002, and successive US administrations have maintained that the court has no authority to investigate or prosecute American citizens.
The ICC, however, maintains that it can investigate alleged crimes committed in countries that have accepted its jurisdiction, even when the individuals accused are citizens of states that are not members of the court.
The confrontation intensified during President Donald Trump’s first term, when his administration imposed sanctions on ICC officials after the court opened an investigation into alleged crimes in Afghanistan, including allegations involving US military and intelligence personnel.
The Joe Biden administration later removed those sanctions but continued to reject the ICC’s jurisdiction over US citizens. The ICC has also faced criticism from Washington over investigations involving US allies, particularly Israel.
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