President Trump’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly drew laughs, granted, but also raised serious concerns. Previously, Trump attacked the UN Human Rights Council and withdrew. Now, he’s launching a war on the International Criminal Court.
[T]he United States will provide no support and recognition to the International Criminal Court. As far as America is concerned, the ICC has no jurisdiction, no legitimacy, and no authority. The ICC claims near-universal jurisdiction over the citizens of every country, violating all principles of justice, fairness, and due process.
Trump’s speech was heavy on now-familiar “America first” rhetoric—and scorn.
Trump: International Criminal Court has no Jurisdiction, legitimacy or authority. (From CNBC)
The Trump administration previewed its attack on the International Criminal Court in early September. Should the ICC push forward to investigate potentially criminal acts by U.S. troops and intelligence officers in Afghanistan, National Security Advisor John Bolton warned, the United States would fight back.
We will not cooperate with the ICC. We will provide no assistance to the ICC. We will not join the ICC. We will let the ICC die on its own. After all, for all intents and purposes, the ICC is already dead to us.
The United States could block ICC judges and prosecutors from traveling to the United States, Bolton suggested, as well as freezing funds within the U.S. and even prosecuting ICC officials in domestic courts.
Trump’s anti-ICC stance mirrors that of the despots and dictators he praises. As a New York Times piece pointed out in mid-September, until Trump took the ICC on, the only voices criticizing the body were those of, say, Burundi. Days later, Human Rights Watch renewed calls for a UN inquiry into allegations of endemic human rights violations by Burundi’s government.
The ICC, founded just 16 years ago, is vulnerable. Trump’s antipathy could have serious repercussions for the already embattled institution. Bolton’s been working toward that end since George W. Bush’s first term. He wanted to “strangle the ICC in its cradle.”
In his renewed assault on the ICC, Bolton paired threats against the court with an announcement that the administration ordered the Palestine Liberation Organization to close its D.C. office as punishment for requesting the ICC investigate Israel. The administration aims to force Palestine back into negotiations with Israel and the United States.
Husam Zamlot, who headed the PLO’s D.C. office, responded with relative aplomb.
“This did not come as a surprise to us,” Zomlot said. “Putting all the dots together, and crossing all the t’s and following the trajectory of what has been happening over the last nine months, it is obvious that the team of Mr. Trump is on a mission, and the mission is primarily to simply give Israel exactly what it wants.”
Trump has no compunctions when it comes to fighting the rule of law whether at home, via hyper-politicized judicial nominations, or internationally, as he attempts to sabotage international organizations that could criticize or impede him.