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MIDDLE EAST

US Angry at Unfavorable ICJ Ruling, Withdraws From Two International Pacts

After a ruling by the ICJ that angered the U.S., the country is now looking at pulling out of all international agreements that expose them to ICJ jurisdiction.

Last Wednesday, the Trump administration pulled out of two international treaties after Palestine and Iran lodged a complaint to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding U.S. foreign policy, marking the latest Washington withdrawal from multilateral agreements.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton announced Washington would review all international treaties that could expose it to binding solutions issued by the ICJ, as Reuters reported. Bolton also slammed the ICJ for being politicized and ineffective.

“We will commence a review of all international agreements that may still expose the United States to purported binding jurisdiction, dispute resolution in the International Court of Justice. The United States will not sit idly by as baseless politicized claims are brought against us,” Bolton stated.

Earlier in the day last Wednesday, the ICJ handed a victory to Iran when it ordered the U.S. to ensure that U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran – which will be tightened next month – would not affect humanitarian aid or civil aviation safety.

The ICJ is the United Nations’ primary judicial body to resolve legal disputes between states. Both Iran and the U.S. have ignored ICJ rulings in the past. ICJ rulings are binding but the Hague-based court has no power to enforce them.

Tehran argued that sanctions imposed by Washington in May of this year violated the Treaty of Amity signed in 1955. The U.S. responded by withdrawing from the lesser-known agreement which had been signed by U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and the Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The treaty was a symbol of friendship between the two countries, a closeness largely resulting from the U.S. orchestrating a coup in Iran to install Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations

Bolton also accused Iran of abusing the ICJ for its own interests and political propaganda and added Washington would plan to withdraw from the “optional protocol” under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations is an international treaty which set up a framework for diplomatic relations between states. The agreement is also the legal foundation for diplomatic immunity. One of the two optional protocols the U.S. has now withdrawn from states that disputes arising from the interpretation of the treaty are to be settled before the ICJ.

The U.S.’ withdrawal from the Viena Convention’s optional protocol and the Treaty of Amity continues the trend of the Trump administration to pull out of major international accords. Since Donald Trump took office almost two years ago, the U.S. has withdrawn from the Iran nuclear deal, the climate agreement (the Paris accord), left UNESCO and threatened its NATO allies that Washington will go its own way if NATO members do not increase their defense budget.

Iran’s Reaction to US Withdrawal

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Washington’s latest withdrawal from the international pacts proves the unreliability of the U.S.

“We’re not actually eager to meet with (US President Donald Trump) because the United States is not a reliable negotiating partner,” Zarif told Aljazeera in an interview on Friday.

It is too early to predict the impact of the ICJ’s ruling on the Iranian sanctions but the U.S. has claimed it already ensures sanctions do not affect humanitarian aid. The EU, with China and Russia, has prepared a plan called the Special Purpose Vehicle aimed at keeping Iran in the deal.

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Yasmeen Rasidi

Yasmeen is a writer and political science graduate of the National University, Jakarta. She covers a variety of topics for Citizen Truth including the Asia and Pacific region, international conflicts and press freedom issues. Yasmeen had worked for Xinhua Indonesia and GeoStrategist previously. She writes from Jakarta, Indonesia.

36 Comments

  1. Brian Mellon October 8, 2018

    Their behaviour reminds me of a toddler laying on the ground screaming and crying when they cannot get their own way.

    Reply
  2. Ray Rossman October 8, 2018

    Another authoritarian, rightwing, recycled lunatic!

    Reply
  3. Ken Emsweller October 8, 2018

    Our way or the highway!?

    Reply
  4. Cheryl Yeager October 8, 2018

    Babies

    Reply
  5. Larry L. Cunningham October 8, 2018

    How to win friends and influence people?

    Reply
  6. Christine Johnson October 8, 2018

    China Russia and Europe have been working together to keep the Iranian deal intact. The US keeps pushing Iran trying to stop their plan from working so we will have an excuse to bomb the last independent strong nation in the Middle East. Will leave Israel as the dominant force in the Middle East. Wish isn’t going to farewell.

    Reply
  7. William Milam October 8, 2018

    Fuck this nobody ,bolten

    Reply
  8. Gail Ladella October 8, 2018

    You’re all nuts

    Reply
  9. Leslie Pruitt October 8, 2018

    WE CAN TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES!! DONT NEED HELP FROM COMMUNISTS OR SOCIALIST!!!

    Reply
    1. Kath Phelps October 8, 2018

      Are you frightened? Could have fooled me! Bolton should have been tried and convicted at the HAGUE years ago.

    2. Leslie Pruitt October 8, 2018

      Kath Phelps YOU ARE A FUCKING SHEEP!!

  10. Ronald Christensen October 9, 2018

    Bolton was the Idiot that ran all over IRAQ finding WMDs that were not there !

    Reply
  11. Bette Crooke October 13, 2018

    The Iran deal should have never been made

    Reply
  12. Beverly Chisholm Davis October 13, 2018

    Just like Trump. Play my rules or I take my marbles and go home.

    Reply
  13. Cat Ewing October 13, 2018

    Bolton: the WORST person to have this job—do the research on this old goat

    Reply
    1. Howard Stokes October 13, 2018

      Yes He is so much like a lot of the Rs and trump.I think most all of them are bought off puppets.

  14. Roberta Coyle October 13, 2018

    Fascism lives in the White House

    Reply
  15. Jose R. Rivera October 13, 2018

    The alienation from democracies, friends and reneaguing on signed treaties continues while aligning the US with dictators and the totalitarian block.
    WAKE THE FUCK UP AMERICA!

    Reply
  16. April Severin October 13, 2018

    Please Mueller get this investigation over so we can fire Congress and the swamp

    Reply
  17. Bob Burge October 13, 2018

    It’s called “taking my bat and ball and going home!” A favorite of spoiled brats!

    Reply
  18. Ronald Christensen October 13, 2018

    Bolton was the idiot that ran all over Iraq finding WMDs, that were not there !

    Reply
  19. Larry L. Cunningham October 13, 2018

    Deplorable!

    Reply
  20. Margaret Benson Alsobrook October 13, 2018

    They have no control over our sovereign nation.

    Reply
  21. Louise Dodson October 13, 2018

    See this right here is a good example of … take out the garbage

    Reply
  22. Gail Ladella October 13, 2018

    GOOD! BETTER YET, THROW THE UN OUT OF OUR COUNTRY

    Reply
  23. Robert Smith October 13, 2018

    Dangerous man we’re in trouble

    Reply
  24. Karen Notarian Webb October 13, 2018

    Crazy!!!

    Reply
  25. Rick Liebst October 13, 2018

    There is a face of pure evil.

    Reply
  26. Doug Bryant October 13, 2018

    When you got crooked idiots running the country.

    Reply
  27. George Rome October 13, 2018

    Another traitor

    Reply
  28. Chari Hayes October 14, 2018

    I hate him too.

    Reply
  29. Dee Petta October 14, 2018

    The little kids in DC can’t seem to play nice with anyone else who doesn’t agree with them. Constantly having tantrums. Perhaps some koolaid and some faux tv will
    make them feel all better.

    Reply
  30. Jeanette Gindler October 14, 2018

    Stupid

    Reply
  31. Marie Krank October 14, 2018

    Bolton has Always been a Crook!!!!!!

    Reply
  32. Loretta Thompson October 14, 2018

    Perfect!

    Reply
  33. Kathi Goff October 14, 2018

    I don’t think there is an honest republican in Washington right now…Do people supporting this party have any concept of what they are doing to our country…We could well have to go it alone if these nut cases led by the most ignorant man every to sit in the Oval Office, continue their assault on every other nation in the world.

    Reply

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