Everybody knows the story about Frankenstein monster turning against its creator. Such things happen in real life. The respectable Wall Street Journal was used by John Bolton, an American lawyer and diplomat who has served in several Republican administrations, as a trumpet to sound alarm. The threat to the United States is posed by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC, established in 2002, is the world’s first permanent court set up to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The body is known for its Western bias. It was the reason African states left the ICC last year. The court has been usually used as an instrument to deal with those who refused to bow to the pressure of the US and other Western powers. But things change. Today, the ICC is viewed by the US as a source of danger and a body undermining the America’s image globally.
An extraordinary event triggered the Mr. Bolton’s reaction. It has been reported that the ICC chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, is seeking approval to investigate allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan, including possible torture by US forces and the CIA. In a statement on the ICC website, Ms Bensouda said the prosecutor’s office believed an investigation was required owing to “the gravity of the acts committed . . . and the absence of relevant national proceedings against those who appear to be most responsible for the most serious crimes within this situation”. The move is likely to provoke anger in Washington and the Bolton’s article is just the first salvo.
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