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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSecretary Pompeo<\/strong>\u2714<\/strong>@SecPompeo<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Today I’m announcing a policy of U.S. visa restrictions on individuals directly responsible for any #ICC<\/a> investigation of U.S. personnel. The U.S. has not joined ICC because of its broad, unaccountable powers, and its threat to our sovereignty. We will protect our citizens.5,828<\/a>3:38 PM – Mar 15, 2019<\/a>3,204 people are talking about this<\/a>Twitter Ads info and privacy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The United States has never joined the ICC, where a prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, asked judges in November 2017 for authorization to open an investigation into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pompeo\u2019s announcement of visa restrictions was the first concrete action taken by the US against the ICC since the White House threatened reprisals against the Hague-based body in September of last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m announcing a policy of US visa restrictions on those individuals directly responsible for any ICC investigation of US personnel,\u201d the secretary of state said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This would include anyone who takes, or has taken, action to request or further an investigation, he told reporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you\u2019re responsible for the proposed ICC investigation of US personnel in connection with the situation in Afghanistan you should not assume that you still have, or will get, a visa or that you will be permitted to enter the United States,\u201d Pompeo added.View image on Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Balkees Jarrah<\/strong>\u2714<\/strong>@balkeesjarrah<\/a><\/a>Replying to @balkeesjarrah<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Trump administration is trying an end run around accountability. #Afghanistan<\/a> #Palestine<\/a>49<\/a>12:05 PM – Mar 15, 2019<\/a>29 people are talking about this<\/a>Twitter Ads info and privacy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The secretary of state said visas could also be withheld from ICC personnel involved in conducting probes of US allies, specifically Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese visa restrictions may also be used to deter ICC efforts to pursue allied personnel, including Israelis, without allies\u2019 consent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pompeo said \u201cimplementation\u201d of the policy has already begun but he did not provide any details, citing confidentiality surrounding visa applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese visa restrictions will not be the end of our efforts,\u201d Pompeo said. \u201cWe\u2019re prepared to take additional steps, including economic sanctions, if the ICC does not change its course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Politically motivated prosecutions\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The secretary of state said the US had declined to join the ICC \u201cbecause of its broad unaccountable prosecutorial powers\u201d and the threat it proposes to American national sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are determined to protect American and allied civilian personnel from living in fear of unjust prosecution for actions taken to defend our great nation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe feared that the court could eventually pursue politically motivated prosecutions of Americans,\u201d he said, \u201cand our fears were warranted.\u201dView image on Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n ACLU<\/strong>\u2714<\/strong>@ACLU<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Trump administration today said it would ban International Criminal Court personnel from entering the country if they attempt to investigate the US for its human rights abuses. Pompeo said the US government was obliged to protect its citizens and procedures were already in place to deal with members of the US armed forces who engage in misconduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen US service members fail to adhere to our strict code of military conduct they are reprimanded, courtmartialed and sentenced, if that\u2019s what\u2019s deserved,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe US government, where possible, takes legal action against those responsible for international crimes,\u201d he added, noting that it has supported prosecution of war crimes in Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n .@EurasiaView<\/a>: \u201cThe ICC prosecutes the most serious crimes under international law, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amnesty International<\/strong>\u2714<\/strong>@amnestyusa<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cImpeding the work of ICC investigators disrupts its vital function and demands impunity for the White House\u2019s own policies. In doing so, it risks setting a dangerous precedent.\u201d38<\/a>1:14 PM – Mar 15, 2019<\/a>Twitter Ads info and privacy<\/a>22 people are talking about this<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The ICC and human rights groups reacted swiftly to Pompeo\u2019s remarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe ICC, as a court of law, will continue to do its independent work, undeterred, in accordance with its mandate and the overarching principle of the rule of law,\u201d the ICC said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Richard Dicker, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said the US move \u201cis a naked attempt to bully judges and impede justice for victims in Afghanistan\u201d and \u201cblatant contempt for the rule of law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Goldston, executive director of the Open Society Justice Initiative, said Pompeo\u2019s remarks reflected the administration\u2019s view that international law matters \u201conly when it is aligned with US national interests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAttacking international judicial actors for doing their jobs undermines global efforts to hold to account those most responsible for atrocity crimes such as torture and mass murder,\u201d Goldston said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Sec Pompeo’s moves against ICC , @JamesAGoldston<\/a> says: Justice Initiative<\/strong>@OSFJustice<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n “The ICC\u2019s investigations must follow the evidence without fear or favor. Attacking international judicial actors for doing their jobs undermines global efforts to hold to account those most responsible for atrocity crimes such as torture and mass murder.”20<\/a>10:17 AM – Mar 15, 2019<\/a>Twitter Ads info and privacy<\/a>17 people are talking about this<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The ICC was established in 2002 under the Rome Statute and joined by 123 countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But ICC membership was never ratified by the US Senate and the \u201cAmerica First\u201d administration of President Donald Trump has been a particularly virulent opponent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n John Bolton harshly condemned the ICC in one of his first speeches after becoming Trump\u2019s national security advisor in September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe will not cooperate with the ICC,\u201d Bolton said. \u201cAnd we certainly will not join the ICC. We will let the ICC die on its own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n (AFP)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The United States announced on Friday it would deny visas to members of the International Criminal Court involved in investigating alleged war crimes from US troops in Afghanistan or in other countries. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was prepared to take further steps, including economic sanctions, if the war crimes court goes ahead with any probes of US… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article-post"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/southandcentralasiablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/southandcentralasiablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/southandcentralasiablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/southandcentralasiablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/127"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/southandcentralasiablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3284"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/southandcentralasiablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3284\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3285,"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/southandcentralasiablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3284\/revisions\/3285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/southandcentralasiablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/southandcentralasiablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/southandcentralasiablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"View](\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/D1tjScQWwAIEgSi?format=jpg&name=small\")
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Our full statement:2,828<\/a>1:01 PM – Mar 15, 2019<\/a>3,143 people are talking about this<\/a>Twitter Ads info and privacy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/profile_images\/1006615853293432832\/1vtsDoqb_normal.jpg\")
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\u201cSecretary Pompeo\u2019s remarks reflect this Administration\u2019s view that international law matters only when it is aligned with US national interests. But that\u2019s not how law works.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n