Trump puts sanctions on International Criminal Court team probing U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan

President Trump signed an executive order Thursday authorizing sanctions against officials at the International Criminal Court, following an investigation into whether U.S. troops committed war crimes in Afghanistan.

The court, based in The Hague in the Netherlands, announced in 2017 that it would  seek authorization to investigate possible war crimes against U.S. troops, the CIA and the Taliban, and in March said it would begin that effort.

The order authorizes Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, with help from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, to block ICC officials involved in the probe from accessing their U.S. assets. The order also limits visa privileges for those officials. 

Defense Secretary Mark Esper argued that the U.S. court system has a more fair and effective system to determine whether a member of the U.S. military committed a war crime and the appropriate punishment.

“Ultimately our justice system ensures that our people are held to account under the United States Constitution, not the International Criminal Court or other overreaching inter-governmental bodies,” he said, according to The Washington Times. 

Esper also reaffirmed the country’s support for U.S. troops around the world.

“There is no other force more disciplined and committed to compliance with the laws of war than the United States military, which has made lasting contributions to the cause of justice and accountability in armed conflict.” he said. 

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the European-based ICC a “kangaroo court,” following the administration’s position that the ICC, of which the U.S. is not a member, does not have the authority to pursue such investigations.