ICC prosecutor: U.S. forces may have tortured in Afghanistan
International Criminal Court prosecutors said Monday that a preliminary probe indicates that members of the U.S. armed forces and the CIA may have committed war crimes by torturing detainees in Afghanistan.
Prosecutors would have to clear several hurdles before formally bringing the case before the court in The Hague, Netherlands. The prosecutors said they have not decided yet whether to launch a full-scale investigation but will decide soon, the Associated Press reported.
Even if an investigation is launched, it would be difficult to bring charges. The court does not normally interview witnesses or gather forensic evidence, Foreign Policy magazine reported recently.
The prosecution office said in its report issued late Monday that U.S. armed forces personnel “appear to have subjected at least 61 detained persons to torture” in Afghanistan, mainly in 2003-2004. The report also said that CIA operatives may have tortured at least 27 detainees in Afghanistan and elsewhere, mainly in the same time period.
The United States is not a member of the court, but its citizens could face prosecution if they commit crimes in a country that is a member, such as Afghanistan, according to the AP.
The U.S.-led invasion into Afghanistan toppled the Taliban from power after the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The Taliban had harbored al-Qaeda militants in the years leading up to the attacks.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/11/14/united-states-forces-may-have-tortured-afghanistan/93819896/
