International justice, it seems, is a colourful idea until it knocks on a superpower’s door. Then the judge becomes a rogue, the law becomes an inconvenience, and accountability becomes an assault on an entire nation.
On October 9, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced fresh sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC), escalating Washington’s quarrel over investigations touching American personnel and Israeli leaders. Washington calls this an attack on the American people. Interestingly, some of Kampala’s top diplomats cheered on. One wonders whether the injured party is the people, or the cherished belief that American power carries a lifetime exemption from scrutiny.