ICC prosecutors: US forces may have committed war crimes

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Mike Corder, Associated Press

Updated 4:45 pm, Tuesday, November 15, 2016


THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The chances of American servicemen being charged and sent to face justice at the International Criminal Court are remote, even if the chief prosecutor opens an investigation into alleged crimes in Afghanistan, legal experts said Tuesday.

Stephen Rapp, a former ambassador at large for war crimes issues in the Obama administration told The Associated Press he considers it "highly, highly unlikely" an American will be prosecuted at the world's first international court with global reach, based in The Hague, Netherlands.

Rapp's comments came a day after the ICC's chief prosecutor said in a report that U.S. forces in Afghanistan may have committed the war crime of torture when interrogating detainees, opening the possibility of Americans being prosecuted even though their country is not a member of the court.

"Members of US armed forces appear to have subjected at least 61 detained persons to torture, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity on the territory of Afghanistan between 1 May 2003 and 31 December 2014," according to the report issued late Monday by Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda's office. Bensouda didn't comment on the report Tuesday.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/ICC-prosecutors-US-forces-may-have-committed-war-10614932.php

[Eugene]

1. U.S. says war crimes probe of U.S. forces in Afghanistan unwarranted

Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS | Tue Nov 15, 2016 | 7:37pm EST

U.S. says war crimes probe of U.S. forces in Afghanistan unwarranted

An International Criminal Court investigation of possible war crimes by U.S. forces in Afghanistan is not "warranted or appropriate," the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday after prosecutors in The Hague found initial grounds for such a probe.

State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the United States was not a party to the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court in The Hague and had not consented to ICC jurisdiction. She also said Washington had a robust justice system able to deal with such complaints.

"The United States is deeply committed to complying with the law of war," Trudeau told reporters at a news briefing. "We do not believe that an ICC examination or investigation with respect to actions of U.S. personnel in relation to the situation in Afghanistan is warranted or appropriate."

Her comments came a day after prosecutors at the International Criminal Court said in a report that there was a "reasonable basis to believe" that U.S. forces had tortured at least 61 prisoners in Afghanistan and another 27 at CIA detention facilities elsewhere in 2003 and 2004.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-warcrimes-usa-idUSKBN13A2W8

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R

My sig line speaks for me.