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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump doubles down on bombing Iran's cultural sites
Last edited Mon Jan 6, 2020, 12:35 AM - Edit history (1)
Trump doubles down on threat to strike cultural sites in IranWASHINGTON (AP) US President Donald Trump insisted Sunday that Iranian cultural sites were fair game for the US military, dismissing concerns within his own administration that doing so would constitute a war crime under international law.
He also warned Iraq that the US would levy punishing sanctions if it expelled American troops in retaliation for a US strike in Baghdad that killed a top Iranian official.
(snip) Trump first raised the prospect of targeting Iranian cultural sites Saturday in a tweet. Speaking with reporters Sunday as he returned to Washington from his holiday stay in Florida, he doubled down, despite international prohibitions.
Theyre allowed to kill our people. Theyre allowed to torture and maim our people. Theyre allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And were not allowed to touch their cultural sites? It doesnt work that way, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington from a holiday stay at his Florida estate.
If they do anything there will be major retaliation, he said.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-doubles-down-on-threat-to-strike-cultural-sites-in-iran/
Suleimani killing: Donald Trump defends threat to hit cultural sites in Iran
(snip) Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One ... he sought to offer a justification. Theyre allowed to kill our people, Trump said, according to a pool report. Theyre allowed to torture and maim our people. Theyre allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And were not allowed to touch their cultural site? It doesnt work that way.
Targeting cultural sites is prohibited by international conventions signed in Geneva and at the Hague. In 2017, the United Nations security council passed unanimously a resolution condemning the destruction of heritage sites. The action previewed by Trump would almost certainly involve the deaths of civilians.
Human Rights Watch condemned the presidents words. President Trump should publicly reverse his threats against Irans cultural property and make clear that he will not authorise nor order war crimes, said Andrea Prasow, its acting Washington director. The US Defense Department should publicly reaffirm its commitment to abide by the laws of war and comply only with lawful military orders.
She added: Trumps threat to attack Irans cultural heritage shows his callous disregard for the global rule of law. Whether refusing to condemn the brutal murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi or pardoning convicted war criminals, Trump has shown little respect for human rights as part of US foreign policy.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/06/suleimani-killing-donald-trump-defends-threat-to-hit-cultural-sites-in-iran
UNESCO listed World Heritage sites in Iran
https://en.radiofarda.com/a/unesco-world-heritage-sites-in-iran/29579036.html
C_U_L8R
(45,020 posts)This guy should be in a padded room.
Arkansas Granny
(31,528 posts)Republicans will not hold him to account when he makes statements like this.
Grokenstein
(5,727 posts)Last edited Mon Jan 6, 2020, 02:37 AM - Edit history (1)
No one's "allowing" them to kill, torture and maim "our" people (by which I presume you mean "American citizens," which would be weird since you hold every single one of us in such blatant contempt). Strangely enough, however, WE are "allowed" to do exactly those things to everyone else we see fit--even children--by Republicans. Which is one of the reasons more and more people abhor us every day.
But even if it weren't clearly against every civilized rule of warfare (as paradoxical as that sounds), America never became "great" by racing to the bottom emulating our enemies' most savage behavior. We're supposed to "be better," remember?
I know, I know...Vladimir's goal is to destroy us, and the reason you smirk when you dry-hump the flag is because you're helping him.
May your execution be televised.
procon
(15,805 posts)If he's going to be destroying priceless cultural sites.
greytdemocrat
(3,299 posts)The question is will they be willing
to call it??
struggle4progress
(118,338 posts)they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made"
F. Scott Ditzgerald
crazytown
(7,277 posts)I couldnt forgive Tom or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified.
scarletwoman
(31,893 posts)He's drunk with power and blood lust.
spanone
(135,873 posts)UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)Russiapublicans gave one molecule of a hair from a rats rump about this country.
Caliman73
(11,744 posts)ONE. No, they aren't allowed to kill and maim our soldiers with roadside bombs. They commit acts of terrorism targeting our troops who continue to be in Iraq after 16 years. Our troops should be out of Iraq, which was one of the bullshit planks the lying as Trump ran on.
TWO. It most certainly works that way. We are a signatory to the international law that states that targeting cultural, historical, medical, and religious sites is a war crime. Which is why we condemn people who bomb hospitals and churches, and condemn groups who launch mortar attacks from churches and hospitals. IT IS A WAR CRIME.
THREE. Trump is an idiot. He is a dangerous idiot and needs to be removed from office.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)safeinOhio
(32,715 posts)Attack one of our cultural sites and we will attack every trump property in the world. Then hunt down your family.
moondust
(20,006 posts)Grokenstein
(5,727 posts)Insecure Man-Infant-In-Chief: "They did it FIRST!!"
Blue Owl
(50,494 posts)n/t