US Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched a fierce attack on the International Criminal Court in a speech before the Federalist Society in Washington. He accused international institutions of using the law as a tool to constrain US foreign policy and national sovereignty.
“We have heard the term international law used against almost every major foreign-policy decision or action of this administration,” Rubio said, describing this as the “weaponization of international law.”
According to him, the International Criminal Court is an “unelected global tribunal” that claims to stand above the laws and constitutions of sovereign states. Rubio said that Americans had never agreed to submit to the court’s jurisdiction.
Warning to the court
“They can try,” the secretary of state said, speaking about the possibility of the court taking action against US citizens. He added that if the International Criminal Court tried to enforce its decisions against the United States, Washington’s response would be like that of the Roman military commander Pompey: “Stop quoting laws to men with swords.”
Rubio accused the “global elite” of presenting international law as a neutral set of rules, while in fact using it to advance its own interests. He also criticized international bureaucrats, non-governmental organizations and judges who, in his view, are trying to restrict the right of the United States to act in accordance with its own interests.
The speech was delivered at the National Convention of Federalist Society Lawyers on November 13. It was Rubio’s first major prepared address in the United States since the midterm elections, in which Republicans suffered heavy losses.
The campaign against the International Criminal Court
Washington is not a party to the Rome Statute and does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. President Donald Trump’s administration imposed sanctions on the court and its officials over investigations that could affect US citizens and representatives of allied states, including Israel.
Rubio has already said that the United States will dismantle the court “brick by brick” if it does not halt investigations and attempts to prosecute citizens of countries that are not members of the institution.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over allegations of crimes against humanity in Gaza. Both reject the accusations.
New decision in the Afghanistan investigation
On the same day, the court limited the Afghanistan investigation to crimes committed by the Taliban. This ended the part that could have concerned the actions of US military personnel and intelligence officers.
The judges cited “significant limitations” on the prosecution’s ability to gather evidence and conduct the investigation. The court’s prosecution has already appealed the decision. It did not lead to any change in Washington’s public position, as the US continues to call for the powers of the International Criminal Court to be restricted or terminated.
Sources: apnews.com, 95kqds.com