Bolton bolsters 'America first' foreign policy with robust defense of U.S. sovereignty

In the first major policy speech since his appointment, National Security Adviser John R. Bolton put some meat on the bones of President Trump’s vaunted “America first” foreign policy, saying the U.S. was ready to sanction anyone cooperating with a global court’s investigation of the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan and announcing that the Palestine Liberation Organization diplomatic office in Washington was no longer welcome.

A favorite of Washington’s conservative establishment for his hawkish stance on thorny global issues, Mr. Bolton offered a robust and expansive defense of American sovereignty during an appearance at the Federalist Society, a conservative legal advocacy group.

His speech drew strong responses from supporters and critics.

He said the Hague-based International Criminal Court had no jurisdiction to investigate U.S. officials and soldiers for their actions in Afghanistan, including on charges of war crimes involving detainees that Mr. Bolton dismissed as baseless.

“We will not cooperate with the ICC,” Mr. Bolton said. “We will provide no assistance to the ICC. We will not join the ICC. We will let the ICC die on its own. After all, for all intents and purposes, the ICC is already dead to us.”

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