US State Secy Rubio calls ICC a "stupid organisation" run by "lunatics and crazies"

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a scathing critique of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday, labeling it a "stupid organisation" operated by "lunatics and crazies." Speaking on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Manila, Rubio reaffirmed Washington's unwavering position that the United States will never accept the court's jurisdiction over its citizens.

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We're not members of the ICC. We never signed that treaty, we never joined it.

Rubio highlighted that the US is not a signatory to the Rome Statute and has never joined the ICC. He accused the court of overstepping its authority by claiming the right to prosecute non-member states' leaders and military personnel. "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," Rubio stated.

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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.

He declared that while other nations may choose to join the ICC, the US will not be a part of it, nor will it permit the court to exercise jurisdiction over Americans. "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.

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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.

Rubio's remarks follow a recent announcement by the US State Department detailing a comprehensive campaign to counter the ICC's alleged threat to American sovereignty. The State Department stated it would employ "no diplomatic option will be off-limits" in efforts to "systematically disable the ICC's ability to operate, target American servicemen or officials, or otherwise threaten American sovereignty." Measures under consideration include urging allies to reject the ICC's authority over Americans, increasing scrutiny of countries supporting the court, and imposing sanctions on ICC personnel.

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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.