Pompeo slams ICC's 'reckless' ruling on Afghan war crimes probe

The Hague-based court ruled on Thursday that its chief prosecutor can open a wide-ranging investigation of possible war crimes in Afghanistan by the Taliban, Afghan government forces and the US troops.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) overturned on appeal a previous decision to block the investigation.

The actions of the Taliban, the Afghan government and US troops since May 2003 are expected to be examined.

"This is a truly breathtaking action by an unaccountable political institution, masquerading as a legal body," Pompeo said.

"It is all the more reckless for this ruling to come just days after the United States signed a historic peace deal on Afghanistan – the best chance for peace in a generation. Indeed, the Afghan government, itself, pleaded with the ICC to not take this course.  But the ICC politicians had other goals," he said in a statement.

The ruling comes despite strong opposition from America, which is not a signatory of the ICC and does not recognise its authority over American citizens.

The Afghan government has also opposed the probe but is an ICC member state.

The United States is not a party to the ICC, and will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens from this "renegade, so-called court", Pompeo said.

"This is yet another reminder of what happens when multilateral bodies lack oversight and responsible leadership, and become instead a vehicle for political vendettas. The ICC has today stumbled into a sorry affirmation of every denunciation made by its harshest critics over the past three decades," he said.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has been seeking a formal investigation into the alleged crimes since 2017.

This will be the first investigation opened by the ICC involving the US troops.

The ruling comes less than a week after the US and the Taliban signed a landmark peace deal that calls for the full withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan within 14 months and for the Taliban to disavow terrorist groups.

The deal was signed with the Taliban last Saturday after more than 18 years of conflict.

Last year, the Trump administration imposed travel restrictions and other sanctions on ICC officials.

US President Donald Trump has also pardoned troops prosecuted in America for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.