DayofPal—US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced a sweeping campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) following ICC arrest warrants against Israeli war criminals over Gaza Genocide.
He declars that Washington intends to dismantle the court “brick by brick” in what marks one of the strongest US attacks on an international judicial institution in recent years.
The campaign is being promoted under the slogan “Sovereign nations above globalism,” with the US administration arguing that the ICC has exceeded its mandate by pursuing politically motivated investigations and attempting to exercise authority over states that have not joined the court.
According to Rubio, the United States will employ all available diplomatic and governmental tools, alongside allied nations, to weaken the ICC’s operations.
The measures are expected to include expanding sanctions, imposing travel and visa restrictions on court officials and their families, and encouraging countries receiving US assistance to distance themselves from the court or reject its jurisdiction.
The renewed confrontation follows the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Israeli war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as the court’s continued investigations into alleged US war crimes committed during the Afghanistan conflict.
Washington has accused the ICC of interfering in the military and security policies of the United States and its allies.
The United States has long opposed the ICC. It has never ratified the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the court, and has consistently rejected its jurisdiction over American citizens.
In 2002, Congress passed the American Service-Members’ Protection Act (ASPA), authorizing measures to prevent US personnel from being surrendered to the court.
Washington has also concluded bilateral immunity agreements with numerous countries to block the transfer of American nationals to The Hague.
The US administration is reportedly seeking an end to all ICC investigations involving Israeli leaders over the Gaza war and US personnel connected to Afghanistan.
However, the court’s oversight body has rejected political pressure, reaffirming the ICC’s judicial independence and its commitment to carrying out its mandate without external interference.
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