Criminal hammers criminal court

The criminal: Getty Images

Newsweek:

President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Thursday to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court for targeting the United States, Israel, and its allies, a White House official told Reuters.

The order will implement financial and visa sanctions on individuals and their family members who assist in ICC investigations of U.S. citizens or allies, the official said.

The move comes amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, D.C.

The ICC sought arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over Israel's military actions in Gaza, sparking bipartisan backlash in the U.S.

This is the second time the Trump administration has sanctioned the court, highlighting ongoing tensions over jurisdiction and accountability. The U.S. has never been an ICC member and does not recognize its authority over American citizens.

The order is expected to be signed this afternoon, aligning with Netanyahu's visit to Washington, which included an Oval Office meeting on Tuesday.

Trump's executive order will impose financial and travel restrictions on ICC officials involved in cases against U.S. or Israeli personnel. The move aims to deter cooperation with ICC investigations, further isolating the court.

The ICC has alleged that Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant used "starvation as a method of warfare" by restricting humanitarian aid and deliberately targeting civilians in Gaza—claims Israeli officials have dismissed as false and antisemitic.

Trump sanctioned the ICC following a 2020 order targeting its investigation into alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan. Israel also rejects the court's jurisdiction and has opposed its efforts to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant over the Israel-Hamas war.

Critics argue that Trump's order undermines international law, while supporters see it as necessary to protect American and Israeli interests.

The executive order follows Trump's proposal to have the U.S. take control of Gaza, relocate roughly 2 million Palestinians to neighboring countries, and transform the area into the "Riviera of the Middle East."

The plan sparked immediate backlash. Lawmakers from both parties questioned its practicality and ethics, while Egypt and Jordan flatly rejected the idea of accepting displaced Gazans, calling it a violation of international law. 

Palestinian leaders denounced it as an attempt to erase their presence from the region.

See also Israel destroys Gaza and Arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant: "Crimes against humanity"

The law won't stop Trump

From Counterpunch:

....There is little reason to believe that Trump and his followers will be constrained by the law. The Supreme Court has given Trump himself a get-out-of-jail free card for all official actions he takes as President. 

As all orders coming from him to government officials will be considered official, he can not be held liable for any of them—no matter how illegal. While his subordinates have not been given these free passes and thus are theoretically culpable for their illegal actions, Trump has the ability to pardon them. So they need not be constrained by the law either.

The reality of our crisis is demonstrated by what is actually taking place within government agencies. Trump is taking illegal actions and they are been carried out. He fired 17 or 18 inspectors general, effective immediately. 

This is illegal; Congress requires that it must be notified 30 days in advance for the firing of an inspector general, and a cause for this firing must be given. Neither of these things was done. 

By law, all of these individuals should have remained on the job, pending the proper procedures. 

One Inspector General challenged the order. Phyllis Fong, a 22-year veteran of the US Department of Agriculture, said she intended to stay because proper protocols had not been followed. She was escorted out of the building by security agents.

Trump’s take over of the Justice Department and the FBI makes it even more clear that he will be able to fire anyone and undertake any investigations or actions no matter their legality. 

He is firing apolitical federal prosecutors and agents for doing their jobs and participating in legitimate investigations—a violation of civil service protections. His followers will stock these institutions with their fellow believers and proceed. Whether or not charges brought by them are ultimately upheld in court is almost irrelevant. Years of litigation and prosecution will be sufficient to ruin people.

Other frightening actions are unfolding rapidly. Elon Musk’s surrogates have gotten access to the Treasury Department’s payments system. 

This system is responsible for sending out trillions of dollars in payments to individuals and groups, including Social Security payments. Anyone with control of the system could presumably target their “enemies” and withhold payments to them. Illegal? Yes! 

So what? Similar actions have shut down US AID operations around the world, causing large-scale suffering....

See also Here’s How Unpopular Elon Musk Is

Rob's comment:

This is what right-wing government looks like in the United States.