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Defiant Trump doubles down on threat to Iran cultural sites

  

Category:  News & Politics

Via:  krishna  •  4 years ago  •  53 comments

By:   AFP

Defiant Trump doubles down on threat to Iran cultural sites
After his top diplomat, Mike Pompeo, had insisted that any military action would conform to international law, Trump said he would regard cultural sites as fair game if Iran resorted to deadly force against US targets.

S E E D E D   C O N T E N T



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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says that "every target that we strike will be a lawful target" (AFP Photo/Johannes EISELE)


Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump doubled down Sunday on a threat to attack Iranian cultural sites despite accusations that any such strike would amount to a war crime.


After his top diplomat, Mike Pompeo, had insisted that any military action would conform to international law, Trump said he would regard cultural sites as fair game if Iran resorted to deadly force against US targets.


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Krishna
Professor Expert
1  seeder  Krishna    4 years ago

His comments on his return from a break in Florida followed a welter of criticism over a Tweet on Saturday night in which he said sites which were "important to... Iranian culture" were on a list of 52 potential US targets.

Tehran's foreign minister had reacted to those initial comments by drawing parallels with the Islamic State group's destruction of the Middle East's cultural heritage.

 
 
 
Ed-NavDoc
Professor Quiet
1.1  Ed-NavDoc  replied to  Krishna @1    4 years ago

In this instance, I have to agree that attacking any cultural sites of any nation no matter what the reason is a huge mistake that is bound to backfire in a huge way! That would just open up a much bigger can of worms than already exists.

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
2  seeder  Krishna    4 years ago

 Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that "targeting cultural sites is a WAR CRIME".

"A reminder to those hallucinating about emulating ISIS war crimes by targeting our cultural heritage: Through MILLENNIA of history, barbarians have come and ravaged our cities, razed our monuments and burnt our libraries," said Foreign Minister Zarif.

"Where are they now? We're still here, & standing tall."

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
2.1  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  Krishna @2    4 years ago
Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that "targeting cultural sites is a WAR CRIME".

I never thought that I would ever agree with anything Zarif said, but on that statement, I acquiesce.  I believe that most of the Iranian civilians are good people who do not deserve to be punished because of their leaders and army.  I'll except from that the savages who burn American and Israeli flags and scream "Death to America! Death to Israel!"

 
 
 
Thrawn 31
Professor Guide
3  Thrawn 31    4 years ago

Can the guy, for once, stop making shit worse? He is like the demon of fuck up.

Goddamnit, stop giving the ayatollah propaganda! You are basically telling 81 million people that the Persian culture itself is your target. Is he actively trying to boost government support in Iran? 

Seriously Fuck Head, if you want to create a global coalition against the US, then carry that out. 

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
3.1  seeder  Krishna  replied to  Thrawn 31 @3    4 years ago

Can the guy, for once, stop making shit worse? He is like the demon of fuck up.

Goddamnit, stop giving the ayatollah propaganda! You are basically telling 81 million people that the Persian culture itself is your target. Is he actively trying to boost government support in Iran? 

Seriously Fuck Head, if you want to create a global coalition against the US, then carry that out. 

IMO its been obvious for some time that Trump is mentally defective.

(Although his condition does seem to be getting worse with the passage of time...)

 
 
 
igknorantzrulz
PhD Quiet
3.1.1  igknorantzrulz  replied to  Krishna @3.1    4 years ago
IMO its been obvious for some time that Trump is mentally defective.

its not just your opinion.  WTF people !

how much MORE proof does somebody need ...?

This mental midget is TOTALLY UNFIT to be potUS .

End of story.

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
3.1.2  Bob Nelson  replied to  igknorantzrulz @3.1.1    4 years ago

Um... you're completely missing the important point here...

For his idolators, he is Perfect.

That is s-o-o-o much worse than "totally unfit"...

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
4  seeder  Krishna    4 years ago

Threat 'Un-American' -

Nicholas Burns, who served as US ambassador to NATO under president George W. Bush, said the Trump administration would be guilty of hypocrisy given it was part of international efforts to deter IS from destroying countless pre-Islamic artefacts, including in the Syrian UNESCO-listed site of Palmyra.

"His threat is immoral and Un-American," said Burns, now a professor at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Others drew comparisons with the Taliban's 2001 destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan

 
 
 
al Jizzerror
Masters Expert
4.1  al Jizzerror  replied to  Krishna @4    4 years ago
"His threat is immoral and Un-American," said Burns, now a professor at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Trump has doubled down on his stupid threat to commit war crimes and now Pompeo is insisting "cultural" targets are fair game.  Trump is turning his stupid shit into a Holy War with his threats.

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
4.1.1  XXJefferson51  replied to  al Jizzerror @4.1    4 years ago

If Iran doesn’t hit or target America, Americans, or American interests in the region then the whole issue would be moot, and the threats proven effective...

 
 
 
Ozzwald
Professor Quiet
4.1.2  Ozzwald  replied to  XXJefferson51 @4.1.1    4 years ago

If Iran doesn’t hit or target America, Americans, or American interests in the region then the whole issue would be moot, and the threats proven effective...

So your claim is that Trump is bluffing? jrSmiley_103_smiley_image.jpg

 
 
 
Snuffy
Professor Participates
4.1.3  Snuffy  replied to  XXJefferson51 @4.1.1    4 years ago

IMO that doesn't matter. Trump can have the Air Force target military bases & government offices but cultural sites should not be at all. This is an example of when his "punch back" is just wrong.

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
4.2  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  Krishna @4    4 years ago

We destroy theirs and they might reciprocate.

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
4.2.1  Bob Nelson  replied to  Paula Bartholomew @4.2    4 years ago

D'ya think???

D'ya mean that if we blow up someone else's Washington Monument, they might blow up ours?

Gee..

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
4.2.2  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  Bob Nelson @4.2.1    4 years ago

Anything at this point is possible.

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
4.2.3  Split Personality  replied to  Bob Nelson @4.2.1    4 years ago

Trump Towers in Dubai and Istanbul are easily in range of Irans missiles.

The precision with which they hit the refineries in Saudi Arabia has not gone unnoticed.

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
4.2.4  Bob Nelson  replied to  Split Personality @4.2.3    4 years ago

Yes.

Pandora's Box is open, and we have no idea what will fly out...

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
4.2.5  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  Split Personality @4.2.3    4 years ago

Trump Towers are most likely going to be housing foreigners from all over the world, perhaps including from Iran, China, Russia, so bombing them might be a mistake on Iran's part, but then who kniows?  Did the WTC 9/11 Muslim planners and pilots give a damn that there were many Muslims in the WTC buildings?

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
4.2.6  Split Personality  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @4.2.5    4 years ago
Did the WTC 9/11 Muslim planners and pilots give a damn that there were many Muslims in the WTC buildings?

No, apparently not.

Now the Iranians are hitting Iraqi bases, apparently without regard for Iraqi forces & equipment.

 
 
 
al Jizzerror
Masters Expert
4.2.7  al Jizzerror  replied to  Split Personality @4.2.6    4 years ago
Now the Iranians are hitting Iraqi bases, apparently without regard for Iraqi forces & equipment.

Those bases were targeted because American soldiers are there.

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
4.2.8  Split Personality  replied to  al Jizzerror @4.2.7    4 years ago

They also picked those two bases because they are essentially surrounded by nothing.

No villages or civilians to risk killing anyone as they appeared to have  deliberately 

saved face by missing everything and giving the US a way out of escalating this mess.

They have already proven they can accurately strike Saudi Arabian oil refineries with pinpoint precision

The Abquaq refineries are 700 miles from the Iranian coast.

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
4.2.9  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  Split Personality @4.2.8    4 years ago

It's like a game. Iran deliberately aimed to harm nobody but had to provide some kind of response.  Now Trump says, okay, let's stop it here because we don't want to escalate this into WW3.  Now the Democrats will probably switch their ammunition from calling Trump a warmonger and declare that  he's a chicken.  Damn it all, it sure is fun watching this from far away. 

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
4.2.10  Split Personality  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @4.2.9    4 years ago

For what its worth, we recovered 5 unexploded  "more or less intact" missiles.

Remember the fake body counts in Vietnam, right now the Iranians are telling their own people

how they killed 80 Americans and destroyed many helicopters etc, to save face I imagine.

The Iranian people will find the truth eventually on the internet.

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
4.2.11  Split Personality  replied to  Split Personality @4.2.10    4 years ago

And how ironic would it be if all of this speculation was correct, that they just fired off older retired missiles for effect,

saving face without escalating the "crisis

and then some trigger happy Revolutionary Guard shoots down a civilian airliner.

 
 
 
bbl-1
Professor Quiet
5  bbl-1    4 years ago

Consider this.  Trump's and the right wing goal is to diminish US and Western influence in the Middle East, thereby giving Putin's Russia a freer hand.

As far as Trump's threats, they are a perfect move to further the Middle Eastern nation's suspicion of the West.

This too.  Why is Trump, with these actions also placing Israel in a more precarious position?  To many things do not add up.

Holy War?  Is this what the christian dominionist factions want? 

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
5.1  XXJefferson51  replied to  bbl-1 @5    4 years ago

The biggest impact is to get American progressives and liberals to openly and repeatedly side with Iran and defend them against us every step of the way even if there are no more steps and then run against you all in the fall campaign as blame America first every time.  A great electoral college strategy in my opinion.  

 
 
 
Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom
Professor Guide
5.1.1  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom  replied to  XXJefferson51 @5.1    4 years ago
...blame America first every time.  A great electoral college strategy in my opinion.  

At least you admit that Trump's actions are fueled by political strategy.

That said, stick the rest of your opinions straight up your bazoo.

 
 
 
bbl-1
Professor Quiet
5.1.2  bbl-1  replied to  XXJefferson51 @5.1    4 years ago

Your statement is moronic.  Unpatriotic.  And not only absurd, it is also absurd.

 
 
 
al Jizzerror
Masters Expert
5.1.3  al Jizzerror  replied to  XXJefferson51 @5.1    4 years ago
The biggest impact is to get American progressives and liberals to openly and repeatedly side with Iran

That's bullshit.

Please post some proof that any "American progressives and liberals to openly and repeatedly side with Iran".

 
 
 
Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom
Professor Guide
6  Sister Mary Agnes Ample Bottom    4 years ago

This makes me sick. 

I don't care how this man is removed from office, but it needs to be done without delay.  

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
7  Bob Nelson    4 years ago

There are two ways to define what is right in America today:

 - what is legal, ethical,

 - what is done / said by Trump.

For a Trumpist, that second method is genuine. Whatever Trump does is Good. Criticism of Trump is Evil. They know this because their neighbors tell them so. Fox tells them so. And they know that Fox is telling them the truth because whatever Trump does is Good. (Circularity is not a problem.) They know this. And therefore anyone who says differently is a liar and a traitor.

This isn't exaggeration. It is reality in America today.

So... obliterating cultural sites is not a problem. Trump said that destroying cultural sites would be Good. So it must be.

 
 
 
bbl-1
Professor Quiet
7.1  bbl-1  replied to  Bob Nelson @7    4 years ago

Trump may have accidentally stumbled onto something here.  Perhaps all religious sites should be obliterated once and for all and forever.

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
7.1.1  Bob Nelson  replied to  bbl-1 @7.1    4 years ago

American drones shredding the Vatican!

... somehow, I doubt it...

 
 
 
bbl-1
Professor Quiet
7.1.2  bbl-1  replied to  Bob Nelson @7.1.1    4 years ago

the Vatican would be the end game---and only after the paintings were auctioned off.

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
7.1.3  Bob Nelson  replied to  bbl-1 @7.1.2    4 years ago

          the paintings were auctioned off.

Now there's an interesting idea!

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
7.1.4  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  bbl-1 @7.1    4 years ago

Including ours?

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
7.1.5  cjcold  replied to  Bob Nelson @7.1.3    4 years ago

Ill broker all of the gold and gems.

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
8  Buzz of the Orient    4 years ago

Maybe he should bomb the carpet factories.  Who needs a drone when you have a Persian carpet?

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
8.1  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @8    4 years ago

When I was in Dubai during Desert Storm, I was told that the majority of their carpeting came from Indiana.

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
8.1.1  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  Paula Bartholomew @8.1    4 years ago

LOL,  You mean they outsourced to the USA?  That's a switch.

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
8.2  cjcold  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @8    4 years ago

Carpet bombing again?

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
8.2.1  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  cjcold @8.2    4 years ago

It's a reminder of how old I'm getting when it took me a while to "get" your comment.  

 
 
 
Nerm_L
Professor Expert
9  Nerm_L    4 years ago

Isn't anyone paying attention?  Trump has not threatened regime change.  Trump has not threatened to remove a rogue government.  Trump is threatening to play the game according to Iran's rules.  

Trump's threat against cultural sites wasn't motivated by ignorance.  That's what Iranian state sponsored terrorism does.  Trump is threatening to do to Iran what Iran has been doing to others.  

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
9.1  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  Nerm_L @9    4 years ago
wasn't motivated by ignorance

jrSmiley_10_smiley_image.gif jrSmiley_10_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
9.2  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  Nerm_L @9    4 years ago

Pentagon Rejects Trump Threat To Strike Iranian Cultural Sites

 
 
 
Snuffy
Professor Participates
9.2.2  Snuffy  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @9.2    4 years ago

And that's good. Glad to see they learned the lesson from Nuremberg trials.

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
9.2.3  Paula Bartholomew  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @9.2    4 years ago

The Pentagon can reject until the cows come home.  Trump does and will do what he pleases.

 
 
 
Thrawn 31
Professor Guide
9.2.4  Thrawn 31  replied to  Paula Bartholomew @9.2.3    4 years ago

And that is a massive problem. If that is the reality, then democracy is gone. 

 
 
 
Thrawn 31
Professor Guide
10  Thrawn 31    4 years ago

Man, he really does not want diplomacy to work. 

 
 

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