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During the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Monday, Representative Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken where the victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity could prosecute if local courts do not consider these cases and the United States opposes the International Criminal Court taking such cases in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Israel-Palestine.
Video transcript
ILHAN OMAR: I know you oppose the Court’s investigation in Palestine and Afghanistan. I saw no evidence in either case that national courts can both prosecute and prosecute war crimes and alleged crimes against humanity. And I would like to point out that in Israel and Palestine this includes crimes committed by both the Israeli security forces and Hamas. In Afghanistan, this includes crimes committed by the Afghan national government and the Taliban. So in both of these cases, if national courts are unable or unwilling to pursue justice, and we oppose the ICC, where do we think victims of the alleged crimes can get justice? And what mechanism of justice is [INAUDIBLE] for.
ANTONY BLINKEN: I’m sorry, Congressman, I lost you a second at the end of your question. Could you repeat that, please?
ILHAN OMAR: Yes. I said, in both of these cases, if national courts are unable or unwilling to pursue justice and we oppose the ICC, where do we think victims are supposed to seek justice? And what justice mechanisms do you support for them?
ANTONY BLINKEN: Thanks. First of all, let me say at the outset that it is impossible not to be deeply moved not only by the loss of human life in recent violence and conflict, but above all by the children whose lives have been lost. . And we all tend to throw statistics and numbers, but we’re talking about boys and girls, Israelis and Palestinians, and men and women. And I don’t think any of us, from any perspective, can lose sight of that. So that’s something that’s very important. Listen, you know our take on the ICC and its jurisdiction. We continue to believe that in the absence of a referral to the Security Council or the request of the State itself, this is not appropriate. I still believe that whether it’s the United States or Israel, we both can afford it.
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ILHAN OMAR: Mr. Secretary, I understand that [INAUDIBLE] point. I ask what mechanism do you think is available to them?
ANTONY BLINKEN: I think we have, whether it’s the United States or Israel, we both have the mechanisms to make sure that there is accountability in any situation where there are concerns about the use. of force and human rights, et cetera. I believe that our two democracies have this capacity. And we have demonstrated it. And we will have to continue to demonstrate this in the future.
ILHAN OMAR: What about Afghanistan?
ANTONY BLINKEN: Regarding Afghanistan, if that is our objection, as you know, it was to the assertion of jurisdiction over the United States in the absence of a referral to the Security Council, and I think that we have the means, if there is a case to be brought, to judge them and to do justice.
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