US State Secy Rubio calls ICC a "stupid organisation" run by "lunatics and crazies"
Manila, July 23
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday sharply criticised the International Criminal Court, calling it a "stupid organisation" run by "lunatics and crazies" and reiterating that Washington would never accept the court's jurisdiction over Americans.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ASEAN meetings in Manila, Rubio defended the US position after being asked how Washington reconciles its opposition to the ICC with the need for an international mechanism to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
"We're not members of the ICC. We never signed that treaty, we never joined it," Rubio said. "They somehow claim that they have a right nonetheless to go after non-treaty members and put heads of state and others in jail."
Rubio accused the court of overstepping its authority, saying, "We have lunatics and crazies involved in the ICC that are talking about charging members of the US military, maybe even the President or a future president, with crimes. It's not going to happen."
"If people want to sign on and be a part of that stupid organisation, they can. But we're not going to be a part of it, and they're not going to apply their jurisdiction to Americans," he said.
"We're not going to tolerate it now or in the future, and we've warned them about it repeatedly. And now they're going to see the consequences of ignoring us," Rubio added.
His remarks come days after the US State Department announced a broad campaign aimed at dismantling what it called the ICC's threat to American sovereignty.
In a July 13 media note, the State Department said Secretary Rubio had launched a "whole-of-government response" to "systematically disable the ICC's ability to operate, target American servicemen or officials, or otherwise threaten American sovereignty."
The statement said that the ICC was posing an "intolerable threat to US sovereignty," arguing that it "claims the authority to prosecute and even imprison American servicemen and officials" despite the United States never joining the Rome Statute.
It said the court "previously opened an investigation into US servicemen and intelligence officers" and accused it of seeking to become an "unaccountable global arbiter" and a "supranational enforcement arm of a globalist bureaucracy."
The State Department said "no diplomatic option will be off-limits" in the campaign and outlined measures under consideration, including urging allies and partners to reject the ICC's claimed authority over Americans, increasing scrutiny of countries that continue supporting the court while relying on US assistance, encouraging other non-Rome Statute states to coordinate diplomatic efforts, and imposing additional visa restrictions, travel bans and sanctions on ICC personnel and affiliated organizations.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Rubio calling ICC officials "lunatics and crazies" is so disrespectful. I understand US concerns about sovereignty, but this language is unbecoming of a top diplomat. India has always advocated for dialogue and mutual respect in international forums. Such rhetoric only weakens global cooperation.
This is why India never signed the Rome Statute. We saw this coming. The ICC is too political and Western-dominated. But Rubio's response is extreme - threatening sanctions on a court that's supposed to uphold international justice? The irony is deafening. We need a reformed ICC that respects national sovereignty.
As an American who travels frequently to India for business, I find this embarrassing. The US should lead by example, not threaten international institutions. India navigates this balance far better - you're not a signatory but you cooperate when it serves global justice. We could learn something.
Rubio says "no diplomatic option will be off-limits" - that sounds like a threat, not diplomacy. I'm reading this in Mumbai and thinking: India's approach of strategic autonomy is wiser. We don't bow to pressure from anyone, not the US, not China. Yelling at the ICC just shows weakness, not strength.
I'm with Rubio on one point: the ICC overreaches. But calling them "lunatics" is a joke. We in India know how international bodies can be biased - look at how some treat Kashmir. That said, this aggressive US stance proves why we need a more balanced multipolar world.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.