WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Thursday issued an executive order authorizing U.S. sanctions against International Criminal Court employees involved in an investigation into whether American forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. troops, with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani standing behind him, during an unannounced visit to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, November 28, 2019. REUTERS/Tom Brenner
A senior Trump administration official, without providing details, said the investigation is “being pushed forward by an organization of dubious integrity” – referring to the Hague-based ICC – and accused Russia of having a role.
The order authorizes Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in consultation with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, to block assets in the United States of ICC employees involved in the probe, according to a letter sent by Trump to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi accompanying the order.
It also authorizes Pompeo to block entry into the United States of these individuals.
ICC prosecutor Fatou Be