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Rep. Omar clarifies comments on 'atrocities' by the US, Israel, Hamas and the Taliban

The Democratic representative said that domestic courts are insufficient to prosecute crimes against humanity, but her reference prompted criticism from some of her Democratic House colleagues.

Ilhan Omar
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota speaks during a press conference at a memorial for Daunte Wright on April 20, 2021, in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. — Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

A Minnesota congresswoman compared the United States and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban this week, sparking a Democratic Party Twitter war. 

On Monday, Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota questioned US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing. She argued that domestic courts are insufficient organs to prosecute crimes against humanity. She cited alleged crimes committed by Israel, Hamas, the Afghan government and the Taliban as examples. Omar then pressed Blinken on his views on the International Criminal Court at the Hague and its potential role in such cases. 

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