A former chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has told the BBC that US air strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats would be treated under international law as crimes against humanity.
The comments by Luis Moreno Ocampo come as the Trump administration faces mounting questions over the legality of the attacks in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific - which have killed at least 66 people in the last two months.
The administration says it is in a formal armed conflict with South American traffickers who are bringing drugs into the US.
But Mr. Moreno Ocampo said the military campaign fell into the category of a planned, systematic attack against civilians during peacetime. This, he said, meant that the campaign fell into the category of crimes against humanity.
These are criminals, not soldiers. Criminals are civilians, said Mr. Moreno Ocampo of the US allegations against the boat crews. They are criminals, and we should do better at investigating them, prosecuting them and controlling them, but not killing people, he told the BBC.
The White House responded that President Donald Trump acted in line with the laws of armed conflict to protect the US from cartels, stating that the ICC had no jurisdiction over the United States and labeling it a biased, unserious entity.
It's ridiculous that they are now lecturing President Trump and running cover for evil narcoterrorists trying to murder Americans, remarked White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly.
Mr. Moreno Ocampo described the strikes as a very dangerous expansion of the president's remit to use lethal force. He criticized the changes in US policy regarding military engagement, asserting that previous administrations would typically detain suspected drug traffickers instead of resorting to lethal force.
The US administration has justified the strikes as necessary against alleged 'unlawful combatants' while facing criticism for lack of evidence regarding the presence of drugs on the targeted vessels. Mr. Moreno Ocampo’s arguments reflect a growing concern within the international community regarding the implications of these strikes on civilian lives and global military norms.
The comments by Luis Moreno Ocampo come as the Trump administration faces mounting questions over the legality of the attacks in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific - which have killed at least 66 people in the last two months.
The administration says it is in a formal armed conflict with South American traffickers who are bringing drugs into the US.
But Mr. Moreno Ocampo said the military campaign fell into the category of a planned, systematic attack against civilians during peacetime. This, he said, meant that the campaign fell into the category of crimes against humanity.
These are criminals, not soldiers. Criminals are civilians, said Mr. Moreno Ocampo of the US allegations against the boat crews. They are criminals, and we should do better at investigating them, prosecuting them and controlling them, but not killing people, he told the BBC.
The White House responded that President Donald Trump acted in line with the laws of armed conflict to protect the US from cartels, stating that the ICC had no jurisdiction over the United States and labeling it a biased, unserious entity.
It's ridiculous that they are now lecturing President Trump and running cover for evil narcoterrorists trying to murder Americans, remarked White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly.
Mr. Moreno Ocampo described the strikes as a very dangerous expansion of the president's remit to use lethal force. He criticized the changes in US policy regarding military engagement, asserting that previous administrations would typically detain suspected drug traffickers instead of resorting to lethal force.
The US administration has justified the strikes as necessary against alleged 'unlawful combatants' while facing criticism for lack of evidence regarding the presence of drugs on the targeted vessels. Mr. Moreno Ocampo’s arguments reflect a growing concern within the international community regarding the implications of these strikes on civilian lives and global military norms.
