American troops won't face Afghanistan war crimes probe, international court decides

International Criminal Court judges have sided with President Trump and rejected their own prosecutor's request.

In a Friday decision nearly 18 months in the making, three ICC judges unanimously rejected ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda's request to probe U.S. troops for possible war crimes committed in Afghanistan. The judges agreed there was "reasonable basis" to investigate American troops for the crimes, but ultimately said "current circumstances" in Afghanistan would make "prospects for a successful investigation and prosecution extremely limited."

The White House released a statement praising the decision as a "major international victory" because the U.S. already "holds American citizens to the highest legal and ethical standards."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

The Trump administration has repeatedly criticized the ICC, with National Security Adviser John Bolton saying last year America would sanction the court if it investigated U.S. actions in Afghanistan. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently said he'd begin denying visas to anyone considering investigating U.S. citizens for war crimes, as apparently happened to Bensouda.