US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a strong warning to the International Criminal Court (ICC), questioning its authority to investigate and prosecute US citizens and rejecting any attempt to subject Washington's decisions to international tribunals.
During a speech delivered on November 13 before the
Federalist Society in Washington, Rubio defended US sovereignty and accused
certain international bodies of using international law as an instrument of
political pressure against the United States.
The official was particularly direct when referring to the
possibility that the ICC might try to enforce its decisions against US
citizens.
“They can try, but if they are foolish enough to enforce
their decrees on paper, our response will probably be the same as that of the
Roman general Pompey: ‘Stop citing laws to men with swords,’” Rubio warned. His
statements reflect the Trump administration's position toward the International
Criminal Court (ICC), based in The Hague, an institution that Washington
questions because it believes the Court seeks to exercise jurisdiction over
citizens of a country that has not accepted its authority.
Rubio also criticized what he considers the
instrumentalization of international law by elites and supranational bodies,
which, he argues, seek to limit the United States' ability to act in accordance
with its own national interests.
The Trump administration has imposed sanctions against ICC
officials amid disagreements related to the court's investigations into
Afghanistan and arrest warrants against Israeli leaders.