>>> ALL RIGHT.
EARLIER THIS WEEK THERE IS THIS
MOMENT IN A HEARING, A
CONGRESSIONAL HEARING THAT
HARDLY GOT ANY ATTENTION.
IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.
MOST OF THESE GET NO ATTENTION.
SECRETARY OF STATE TONY BLINKEN
WAS APPEARING VIRTUALLY BEFORE
THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE AND HE WAS ASKED THIS
QUESTION BY DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESSWOMAN FROM MINNESOTA.
>> I KNOW YOU OPPOSE THE
INVESTIGATION IN AFGHANISTAN.
I HAVEN’T SEEN ANY EVIDENCE IN
EITHER CASES THAT THEY CAN AND
WILL PROSECUTE ALLEGED WAR
CRIMES AND CRIMES AGAINST
HUMANITY.
I WOULD EMPHASIZE THAT IN ISRAEL
AND PALESTINE, THIS INCLUDES
CRIMES COMMITTED BY BOTH ISRAELI
SECURITY FORCES AND HAMAS.
IN AFGHANISTAN IT INCLUDES
CRIMES COMMITTED BY THE AFGHAN
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AND THE
TALIBAN.
IN BOTH CASES, IF DOMESTIC
COURTS CAN’T OR WON’T PURSUE
JUSTICE AND WE OPPOSE IT, WHERE
DO WE THINK THE VICTIMS OF THESE
SUPPOSED CRIMES CAN GO FOR
JUSTICE?
>> JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE
CONGRESSWOMAN WAS ASKING
SECRETARY BLINKEN WHERE THINKS
VICTIMS OF ALLEGED WAR CRIME,
CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY CAN GO
FOR JUSTICE IF LOCAL COURTS, SAY
ISRAELI COURTS OR AFGHANISTAN
COURTS WILL NOT LOOK INTO THESE
CASES, AND IF THE U.S. OPPOSES
THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL
COURTS FROM INVESTIGATING THESE
ALLEGED CRIMES WHEN IT COMES TO
AFGHANISTAN AND THE ISRAELI
PALESTINIANS.
SHE WAS REFERENCING THAT THERE
ARE ACTIVE INTERNATIONAL
CRIMINAL COURT INVESTIGATIONS OF
ALL THE ENTITIES SHE NAMED.
BACK IN MARCH THE ICC OPENED
INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED
ISRAELI CRIMES AND PALESTINIAN
TERRITORIES.
IT INCREASED EXPECTED CRIMES
AGAINST ISRAELIS AND
PALESTINIANS.
YOU WILL LOOK AT THE ROCKET FIRE
BY HAMAS AND OTHERS.
LAST YEAR THE ICC RULED THE
CHIEF PROSECUTOR COULD HOME AN
INVESTIGATION INTO WAR CRIMES IN
AFGHANISTAN BY ALL SIDES OF THE
CONFLICT INCLUDING THE TALIBAN
AND U.S.-LED FORCES.
NOW, THAT’S ALL FACTUAL, RIGHT?
THIS IS A FACTUAL RECITATION OF
THINGS HAPPENING IN THE
INTERNATIONAL COURT.
THE IMPLICATION IN THE QUESTION
IS, HOW DO WE MOVE TO A SYSTEM
IN WHICH THERE IS ACTUALLY IN A
GLOBAL SENSE, EQUAL JUSTICE
UNDER THE LAW?
THAT IT IS NOT JUST RULED BY THE
POWERFUL, OF COURSE, WHO WILL
NOT INVESTIGATE THEIR OWN
GOVERNMENT’S CRIMES BUT SOME
KIND OF INVESTIGATIVE BODY THAT
INVESTIGATE CRIMES WITH NO FEAR
OF FAVOR OF POWERFUL AND LESS
POWERFUL COUNTRIES ALIKE.
THAT’S THE POINT SHE’S MAKING.
BASED ON THE FACTS BEFORE THE
ICC.
THEN THE CONGRESSWOMAN TWEETED
OUT HER EXCHANGE WITH SECRETARY
BLINKEN ADDING, WE HAVE SEEN UNTHINKABLE ATROCITIES,
UNTHINKABLE ATROCITIES,
COMMITTED BY HAMAS, ISRAEL, THE
TALIBAN.
THEY CALLED ON THE CONGRESSWOMAN
TO QUOTE, CLARIFY HER WORDS,
PLACING THE U.S. AND ISRAEL IN
THE SAME CATEGORY AS HAMAS AND
THE TALIBAN TO WHICH SHE
RESPONDED, TO BE CLEAR, I WAS IN
NO WAY EQUATING TERRORIST
ORGANIZATIONS WITH JUDICIAL
SYSTEMS.
AFTERWARDS, LEADERSHIP INCLUDING
NANCY PELOSI ISSUED A STATEMENT
WELCOMING THE CLARIFICATION BY
CONGRESSWOMAN OMAR BUT ALSO
WARNING THAT DRAWING
EQUIVALENCIES FOMENTS PREJUDICE
AND UNDERMINES PROGRESS TOWARD
THE FUTURE OF PEACE AND SECURITY
FOR ALL.
SOMETIMES WHEN YOU TELL TRUTH,
YOU REVEAL SOMETHING YOUR
AUDIENCE IS NOT READY TO HEAR.
SO IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A
GROUPING OF THESE ENTITIES
TOGETHER, AND I UNDERSTAND WHY
YOU WOULD, YOU SHOULD TURN YOUR
IRE TOWARD WHATEVER IT IS THE
U.S. HAS DONE TO PUT US IN THAT