by Brett D. Schaefer, Steven Groves
The Heritage Foundation
September 16, 2009
On September 10, the Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, Argentinean Luis Moreno Ocampo, announced that ICC investigators had begun looking into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including torture, “massive attacks,” and collateral damage resulting from military action in Afghanistan. The allegations were made by human-rights groups and the Afghan government. The Obama Administration is reportedly close to announcing a change in U.S. policy toward the ICC, including affirming President Clinton’s 2000 signature on the Rome Statute and increasing U.S. cooperation with the court. Weakening protections against ICC prosecution of U.S. officials and service members would be a grave mistake, as illustrated by the ongoing investigation in Afghanistan.
