US threatens 'punishment' for help with Afghan war crimes probes

The United States will threaten to punish individuals who cooperate with the International Criminal Court in a potential investigation of US wartime actions in Afghanistan, according to people familiar with the decision.

The Trump administration is also expected to announce that it is shutting down a Palestinian diplomatic office in Washington, DC, because Palestinians have sought to use the international court to prosecute US ally Israel, those people said.

White House national security adviser John Bolton, a longtime opponent of the ICC, is expected to outline threats of sanctions and a ban on travel to the United States for people involved in the attempted prosecution of Americans before the international court in an address Monday (US time).

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