The International Criminal Court completely fails its mandate

The whole point of having an International Criminal Court was to have an internationally recognized body that the powerful would have to answer to when they commit war crimes. There was no need for a judicial body in regards to those without power. Plenty of those institutions already existed.
That's why the ICC became irrelevant and pointless today.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor has said he was seeking approval to resume investigation into Afghanistan, focusing on the actions of the Taliban and the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, ISKP (ISIS-K), while alleged US crimes will take a back seat.
...But Khan said that the “current de facto control of the territory of Afghanistan by the Taliban, and its implications [including for law enforcement and judicial activity in Afghanistan] represents a fundamental change in circumstances necessitating the present application”.

The ICC’s limited resources and the need to focus on cases most likely to result in convictions meant he would now narrow his focus in Afghanistan, Khan added.

“I have therefore decided to focus my office’s investigations in Afghanistan on crimes allegedly committed by the Taliban and the Islamic State – Khorasan Province and to deprioritise other aspects of this investigation,” he said.

"Focus on cases most likely to result in convictions" sounds suspiciously like the reasoning of why the IRS no longer investigates wealthy tax cheats, and now only investigates poor people. The IRS simply ignores idea of justice and fairness. Which is bad enough. But when an actual court ignores the idea of justice and fairness then it makes itself illegitimate.
It also adds to the atmosphere of impunity for the powerful.

"Reverse the decision," demands Jamil Dakwar, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) Human Rights Program. The ACLU represents three men trying to hold the US government to account for what they say was their detention and torture in Afghanistan.

Katherine Gallagher, an attorney representing some victims, tweeted that she was stunned — both to learn that the "prosecutor is not investigating crimes against my clients" and that, after a decade of collaboration with the ICC office, she heard about that from a press release.

Working with the US-based Center for Constitutional Rights, Gallagher represents three men detained in Guantanamo, and warns that "allowing powerful states to get away w[ith] multi-year, multi-continent torture against so many feeds impunity for all."

Karim Khan only started at the ICC a few months ago. His predecessor, Fatou Bensouda, fought for 3 years to make sure U.S. war crimes were included in the probe, just to have Khan throw it all away. And with it, the court's credibility.

Share
up
11 users have voted.

Comments

up
9 users have voted.

@humphrey

Someone forgot to tell Pompeo that he has been off the stage for almost a year.

up
4 users have voted.

"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin

up
5 users have voted.
Raggedy Ann's picture

They are standing in full frontal view, chests poked out, no reason to pretend anymore. “Rules for thee not me” is the absolute mantra. The 99% of the world are not in the club.
Pleasantry

up
9 users have voted.

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

The Liberal Moonbat's picture

@Raggedy Ann ...because this is inexcusable. Either the rules apply to EVERYONE...or to no one.

The idea that ~7,792,200,000, increasingly angry, desperate individuals - more than a few of whom know what's what, and have for quite some time, AND of whom the "smart, talented, and moral" and "utterly alienated" subsets are presently converging to a nearly-unprecedented degree - ALL ALLOW the .01% to do this to us is likely the single most baffling thing I see in the world today.

If they see no use for rule of law, they need a reminder why they need it as much as anyone.

"Pardon me, sirrah, you dropped this...."

up
2 users have voted.

In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.

Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!

Raggedy Ann's picture

@The Liberal Moonbat , if they want to. Looks like lazy Americans just want their teevee, video games, own nothing and be happy. Effort for Americans is lackluster or nonexistant. This site proves it all the time - look at the covid discussions being shut down or put in a "special place" to make us look nice to visitors, instead of keeping an open forum. People agree and disagree but it's not allowed, which is why we are in the position we are in. The water is starting to boil but the Americans are loving that heat.

up
1 user has voted.

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

The Liberal Moonbat's picture

@Raggedy Ann ...who actually DESERVE to call ourselves "Americans", who understand how this country is supposed to work, have the backbone to ? Pessimism is LITERALLY no good; give me something constructive. What are we supposed to do? "Go Galt"?

I'm not even sure your cynical take is accurate; I'm not so sure most Americans are really as fat dumb and happy as you (and the 0.01%) think; they're simply fatigued, confused, drained, mentally and physically malnourished, and authentically oppressed.

Now is a time for heroes, not cynics.

up
2 users have voted.

In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.

Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!

janis b's picture

@Raggedy Ann

I believe you’re right to observe that Americans thrive on the heat. My feeling though is that if we view the issue as something inflammatory (heat-producing), then maybe we might find greater ease in feeding it less, while still reserving space to have an open conversation. Time will tell, even if these times are extraordinary.

up
1 user has voted.

@Raggedy Ann
It's my decision as to what the face of c99 looks like to the world in general.

The CC page is determined by the members. The CC page is the members page.

No one is being put in a special place and no discussions are being shut down. The covid discussion is there for all the world to see, they only have to be savvy enough to find it which probably is quite easy to do for most visitors. Please stop with the hyperbole.

look at the covid discussions being shut down or put in a "special place"

And I'll remind you that both sides of this issue wont be on the front page. I think that is equitable.

up
1 user has voted.

"its".

up
4 users have voted.