The Trump administration is reportedly trying to strongarm the International Criminal Court (ICC) into changing its founding document to carve out an exception for President Donald Trump and his top officials ensuring that they are never prosecuted by the court for potential war crimes.

The administration is threatening the ICC with yet more sanctions if they do not amend the Rome Statute, which established the court in 2002, to ensure Trump and his administration’s top officials are never prosecuted, Reuters reports, citing a Trump administration official.

U.S. officials are also demanding that the ICC drop its investigations into Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over charges related to Gaza, as well as a probe into potential war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

These demands have been made known to the court by the U.S. government, Reuters reports.

“There is growing concern … that in 2029 the ICC will turn its attention to the president, to the vice president, to the secretary of war and others, and pursue prosecutions against them,” the Trump administration official told Reuters. “That is unacceptable, and we will not allow it to happen.”

  • Basic Glitch@sh.itjust.worksOP
    25·
    21 hours ago

    "That is unacceptable, and we will not allow it to happen.”

    Fuck you ❄️

    I demand we make it happen

    “Lawmakers should undo them legislatively and repeal the ‘Hague Invasion Act’ — or at least amend it to no longer shield the President and Defense Secretary,” Williams went on, referring to a 2003 law permitting the U.S. to use military force to extract any official from the U.S. or an allied country who is detained by the ICC in the Hague.

    … Even in 2003, who the fuck thought yeah this is probably fine and nothing weird or evil.

    • halcyoncmdr@lemmy.worldEnglish
      19·
      20 hours ago

      Post 9/11 knee jerk responses that began to erode and destroy a lot of what made the US. The Taliban already won then and there.

      The US always has done heinous shit but it was always under the covers. Not blatantly out in the open.

      • jj4211@lemmy.world
        1·
        9 hours ago

        Their goal was not to destroy the US per se, it was to just get them out of the region. Destroying might have been nice, but only in a way that destroyed their power.

        So an unleashed unhinged US was not something they wanted. Sure we might not have the freedom, but they never cared one way or another about that.