Half of Americans think that the US should join the International Criminal Court, with even more thinking the US should support its work.
Today is the 15th anniversary of when the treaty creating the ICC was formally opened for signatures. The court was created to allow for war criminals and perpetrators of genocide to be prosecuted in cases where the local government is unwilling or unable to prosecute the accused themselves. 122 countries are currently full members of the ICC, while another 31 - including the United States - have signed the Rome Statute but have not ratified the treaty and become full members of the ICC.
The latest YouGov research shows that Americans generally support joining the court, with 50% wanting the US to join the court and only 26% against joining it. The move would expose partisan divisions however, with Democrats being overwhelmingly in favor of joining the ICC. Republicans, however, narrowly oppose the move with 42% against joining the court and 35% in favor of joining the court.
Much of the opposition to the ICC has focused on whether or not American soldiers could face prosecution by the ICC for war crimes. Currently, the US actively works to prevent Americans from being subject to purview of the ICC. US military aid to countries which are not NATO members or major allies is conditional on them promising not to hand over American troops to the ICC for prosecution for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The government insists that it is capable of prosecuting US soldiers who may have committed these crimes. When asked whether Americans have ever committed war crimes or crimes against humanity, 58% say that Americans have while only 10% say that no American has ever committed these crimes.
Most Americans (60%) believe that even if the US does not join the ICC that it should support the work of the ICC. This includes Republicans, 52% of whom want the US to support the work of the ICC. 21% think that the US should not support the ICC.
It is widely considered unlikely that the US will join the ICC in the short-term, but since the second term of George W. Bush the attitude of the US government towards the ICC has mellowed significantly, to the point that today the US now provides various forms of indirect aid to the court and assists various ongoing ICC investigations.
Much of the opposition to the ICC has focused on whether or not American soldiers could face prosecution by the ICC for war crimes. US military aid to countries which are not NATO members or major allies is conditional on them promising not to hand over American troops to the ICC for prosecution for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The government insists that it is capable of prosecuting US soldiers who may have committed these crimes. When asked whether Americans have ever committed war crimes or crimes against humanity, 58% say that Americans have while only 10% say that no American has ever committed these crimes.
Complete results are available here.
