Trump Administration Applauds International Court’s Decision to Abandon Afghan War Crimes Probe by Carol Morello – Washington Post
Trump administration officials took a victory lap Friday after the International Criminal Court decided not to proceed with an investigation into war crimes in Afghanistan, hailing it as vindication of their insistence that the court has no jurisdiction over U.S. forces who might have been implicated in a probe.
The judges’ decision appeared to end the quest for accountability for victims of abuses following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. The prosecutor was particularly interested in looking at the alleged abuse of detainees taken in by U.S. forces and the CIA. Though the judges said there was a basis to believe crimes had been committed, a lack of cooperation from the United States, Afghan authorities and the Taliban made the chances of a successful prosecution remote.
President Trump called the decision “a major international victory, not only for these patriots, but for the rule of law.”
“Any attempt to target American, Israeli or allied personnel for prosecution will be met with a swift and vigorous response,” he added in a statement…