In late 2017 the International Criminal Court began collecting testimony for prosecuting war crimes that happened in Afghanistan during our 16 years of occupation. They probably didn't expect what would happen.



More than one million statements from Afghan people and organizations have been submitted to the International Criminal Court alleging war crimes were committed by several actors in the country including the U.S. military, the CIA, Afghan forces and the Taliban, local groups working with the Hague-based tribunal said Friday.

Abdul Wadood Pedram, an official at the Kabul-based Human Rights and Eradication of Violence Organization, told the Associated Press Friday that his group has knowledge of the groups and individuals who submitted the 1.17 million statements to the court over the past three months.

Holy F*ck.

Nearly 1.2 million statements for war crimes. That's incredible, and yet that is likely an understatement.

Since the United States is not a member of the ICC, we don't have to cooperate with any of their rulings. However, since the crimes happened in a member state, any American that is indicted and traveling overseas can be arrested.

Which is why our war criminal John Bolton might have a problem with the ICC.



"Today, on the eve of September 11th, I want to deliver a clear and unambiguous message on behalf of the president. The United States will use any means necessary to protect our citizens and those of our allies from unjust prosecution by this illegitimate court," Bolton said. "We will not cooperate with the ICC. We will provide no assistance to 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."

...

On the ICC, Bolton said if any investigations go ahead on alleged US war crimes, the Trump administration will consider banning judges and prosecutors from entering the country, put sanctions on any funds they have in the US financial system, and prosecute them in US courts.

First of all, who is "us" and "we", John Bolton?

I'm certainly not on your side.

Secondly, exactly what law would you prosecute those judges under? I don't think there is a law against exposing war crimes.

Wait. I am mistaken.

The only person to go to jail for the CIA torture program was the guy who exposed it, John Kiriakou. Meanwhile, Bloody Gina got a promotion for her war crimes.



Putting Haspel in charge of the CIA would undo attempts by the agency — and the nation — to repudiate torture. The message this sends to the CIA workforce is simple: Engage in war crimes, in crimes against humanity, and you’ll get promoted. Don’t worry about the law. Don’t worry about ethics. Don’t worry about morality or the fact that torture doesn’t even work. Go ahead and do it anyway. We’ll cover for you. And you can destroy the evidence, too.

We are above any law. Even our own.

So arresting foreign judges is merely the next logical step.

As is this step.



Bolton also announced the closure of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) office in Washington, DC, because of the Palestinian attempt to get the ICC to investigate Israel for crimes committed during its decades-long occupation of Palestine.