US to Take All Steps to Protect Americans After ICC Allows Afghan War Probes - Pompeo

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States will do its utmost to protect its citizens after the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided to allow probes into possible war crimes committed in Afghanistan, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in a press briefing on Thursday.

"This is a truly breathtaking action by an unaccountable political institution masquerading as a legal body", Pompeo said. "I will reiterate one more time, the United States is not a party to the ICC. And we will take all necessary measures to protect our citizens from this renegade unlawful so-called court".

The statement comes after senior judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) authorised earlier in the day the court's prosecutor to launch an investigation into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

The decision overturns a ruling last year that blocked ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s request to investigate due to a lack of cooperation from Kabul and Washington.

Bensouda’s successful appeal opens the way for investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity thought to have been perpetrated by the Taliban, and US and Afghan forces in Afghanistan.

The United States has opposed the International Criminal Court since it was created by the United Nations, claiming it would be used for politically motivated prosecutions of Americans by nations with grudges against the United States.

US Confident Taliban Working to Keep Commitments Under Peace Agreement

"We still have confidence that the Taliban* leadership is working to deliver on its commitments. We are working to deliver on ours", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during the briefing.

Spokesman for Afghanistan’s Office of the National Security Council Javid Faisal said earlier in the day that the Taliban movement has breached the peace agreement signed with the United States by launching numerous attacks against Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) after inking the deal.

Taliban breached the agreement and put this historic peace opportunity at risk with launching 76 attacks on Afghan Forces in the 3 days of March.
The ANDSF retaliated all attacks and killed a total of 85 Taliban. Our forces are holding a defensive posture to give peace a chance.

— Javid Faisal (@Javidfaisal) March 5, 2020

​The Taliban observed a reduction in violence for one week before signing the peace agreement with the US on 29 February, after which attacks were launched across the country, resulting in dozens of reported military and police deaths.

Peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban leadership are scheduled to begin on 10 March, but a clause in the US-Taliban peace deal, greenlighting the release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners from Afghan custody, has become a sticking point that could jeopardise the entire agreement.

*Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia