The Trump administration’s recent declaration of war on the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a welcome advancement toward the rule of law. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s critique of the ICC is on target and should be shared by anyone who has monitored the activities of this court over the years.
The ICC is fruit of the poisonous tree. The “court” is a creature of both the European Union—by way of conception or adoption and funding—and of unaccountable (and largely EU-funded) international and national non-governmental organizations, which, amongst other things, vet judicial candidates for the ICC bench.
Following the money is easy. The court is inextricably tied to EU countries, which provide up to 70 percent of its funding, making it a less-than-subtle instrument of European foreign policy. He who pays the piper really does call the tune.
The reality is that the ICC, which opened its doors in 2002, has emerged as a sham court peddling ersatz international law. It is not the international court (China, Russia, the United States, India, Pakistan, and Indonesia are just some of the many countries that remain outside of the court’s jurisdiction).
Join the conversation as a VIP Member