Extensive evidence of Russia’s atrocities in Ukraine compels the Biden administration and lawmakers on both sides to demand justice around the world, particularly at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Now Congressman Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) Is asking them to strengthen this view by becoming a member of the U.S. judiciary and repealing the law during George W. Bush’s rule in court. of the United States to block investigations into Americans.
“We have long been involved in the process of legitimizing these international institutions, which essentially demands accountability, and I think it is really disturbing that we now think they are enough… to hold Russia accountable. It is easy for people to see hypocrisy in these two statements when we said earlier that we do not believe in the capabilities of the court. [be] “Neutral,” Omar said Wednesday.
The congressman spoke with HuffPost to discuss a new plan to introduce a package of laws in the House of Representatives on Thursday that would set the course for joining a U.S. court. It shared previously undisclosed aspects of the package: the repeal of the 2002 decision known as the Hague Invasion Act and the strengthening of the position of the State Department’s Office of Global Criminal Justice, a team whose closure was under scrutiny by the Trump administration.
“It’s really important for us not to have a law book that says in many ways that persecution is good for everyone, but not for Americans,” Omar told HuffPost. Imagine how solid the statement would be if we didn’t just demand accountability for war crimes in Ukraine to hold the Russians accountable for the possible war crimes they committed, but our skin was really in the game. “
Progressives like Omar are critical of developing a strong and nuanced stance towards Ukraine to expand its influence on national security policy and to reform the US approach to global issues.
Conservatives and the Pentagon have argued for years that if the United States joins the court, U.S. officials will face an unfair and political investigation. But all Republicans in the Senate recently voted in the Legislation Recommend court as a venue to investigate Russia’s atrocities and the House Republicans have argued Bill Asks court to prosecute Putin in the case of harm to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Biden administration are discussing how to support the work of the court in the war in Ukraine. As a result, The New York Times and former Senator Chris Dodd and former White House attorney John Bellinger said the United States could do so even if national laws restrict access to court.
In response to a discussion on increased international responsibility, the United States Ambassador to the UN He says On Tuesday he supported the proposal to convene sessions of the UN General Assembly after a member of the UN Security Council used his power to veto UN actions. The move could make it more difficult for Russia to use its veto to defend itself, but it could also increase control over the U.S. veto.
“Everyone recognizes that these bodies, which promote international law, are an integral part of international accountability,” Omar told HuffPost. “If we all agree with this statement, we must accept the role of leader and give full support and legitimacy to the court.
Noting that President Bill Clinton made limited efforts to go to court before President George W. Bush launched a foreign policy that largely rejects any level of global governance, Omar said he sees the U.S. failure as a neglect of the historical role of America. The persecution of Nazi atrocities in Nuremberg. And that puts the United States in an awkward little club: Russia is one of the minority of other countries that doesn’t work in the courts.
Omar criticized a separate law in 1999 that prohibited taxpayers from spending dollars to help in court. Noting that former President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on members of the judiciary and their families when the court began examining possible American atrocities in Afghanistan, the congressman said the United States “should fix damage. “
His efforts may attract surprising support. Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) told the Times that she sees the court as “the only place” for Putin’s investigation and that “she will look at the laws on the books and see if they need to change to make sure that in under investigation. ”It can be supported, both financially and for the delivery of any intelligence or manpower. “
Given reservations between Republicans and more moderate Democrats, including President Joe Biden, any changes to regulations could be minimal.
Omar said he would seek support “far and wide”, including within the Biden administration, and reminded his colleagues that their colleagues could receive a positive or disturbing message from the debate in the U.S. court.
He asked Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in court at a hearing last year and replied that America has its own justice mechanism.
“A lot of people around the world can say if they want to,” the congressman told HuffPost. “True justice is blind and if we say that we are people who respect law and order, we cannot make exceptions where our people are not subject to the rule of law.”
Source: Huffpost
