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World News See other World News Articles Title: Investigating US War Crimes in Afghanistan TEHRAN (FNA)- It is about time the international civil society investigated US troops war crimes in Afghanistan. The problem is that the United States has already withdrawn both from the Human Rights Council in Geneva and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris while, at the same time, it has either cut off, or drastically reduced, funding for the UN Population Fund, the UN Relief and Works Agency, and for UN peacekeeping operations. This makes it difficult to hold the country to account at any international tribunal. The most recent US attack has been directed at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague which was planning to investigate war crimes committed in Afghanistan, focusing on the US soldiers. The US action to revoke the visa of Fatou Bensouda, Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, has not only triggered protests from academics and from human rights and civil society organizations but also left several lingering questions unanswered. When the UN decided to locate its secretariat in the city of New York, the US, as host nation, signed a “headquarters agreement” back in 1947 ensuring diplomatic immunity to foreign diplomats and pledging to facilitate the day-to-day activities of the world body - without any hindrance. The US has already violated the agreement on several occassions, including when it denied entry to Iran's then-newly appointed envoy to the UN, Hamid Aboutalebi, in April 2014 on the pretext that he had been one of the students who took over the US embassy in Tehran back in 1980. Aboutalebi said he had only done translation and the US could never prove otherwise, but that never mattered since the main rule here is that the US is duty-bound to allow diplomats to travel to New York to represent their states at the world body. But if you think this world is run by responsible powers you're completely wrong since when it comes to the US, law of jungle, and not responsible foreign policy and behavior, is the drill. And if you think this is a trait of the Trump Administration, again you are wrong, and need to remember that this was done under Barack Obama. So, is the revocation of the visa a violation of the 1947 US-UN headquarters agreement? Or has the US a right to impose proposed sanctions on ICC judges? And is the revocation of the visa the shape of things to come, with political leaders from countries such as Iran, Venezuela and Cuba - blacklisted by the Trump administration - being refused admission when they are due in New York for the annual General Assembly sessions? The protests against the US decision have come from several CSOs, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the International Commission of Jurists, the International Service for Human Rights and the World Federalist Movement- Institute for Global Policy. The letter from the three non-governmental organizations states “the purpose of the visa restrictions is to block and deter legitimate criminal investigation into serious crimes under international law”. “Not only might they have a chilling effect on ICC personnel and others advocating for accountability, but they will set a dangerous precedent with serious implications on the overall fight for impunity, especially the right of victims and their legal representatives to seek justice and reparations without fear of retaliation.” As is, US policies are seriously damaging the system of international law and practice, and have exponentially increased the risk of armed conflict in a world in which many more states now possess weapons of mass destruction. There is no question that the US is applying its immigration laws with the objective of improperly influencing the ICC Prosecutor’s investigations into crimes committed by US troops in Afghanistan. However, there is little about the Trump administration and its mix of insecurity and unwarranted bluster against the UN and ICC that should surprise anyone. This is the same government that is still supporting Saudi Arabia in murdering so many innocent women and children in Yemen. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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