Iran Situation

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(01-15-2020, 12:17 PM)Benton Wrote: NK is also listed as a state sponsor for terror.

The terrorist/terror sponsor label has been muted because we apply it to anyone we disagree with. And that's not to say we don't have reasons to disagree with them. But labeling countries as terrorist sponsors or officials of countries as terrorists because our ideals and their ideals run in opposition seems like we don't know WTF the term means.

I may have missed it, though, I thought Trump was the first one to designate Saleimani's group as a terrorist organisation? I thought that's part of what sparked the latest pissing match.

You're right, the group wasn't labeled a terrorist organization until 2019. He personally was labeled in 2007, which is what I was thinking of.

He was labeled a terrorist not because ideals run in opposition, but because he introduced, armed, and trained terrorists in Iraq to use roadside bombs against US Troops. That's a pretty far cry from a mere clash of ideals.

(01-15-2020, 12:19 PM)fredtoast Wrote: If it was an "act of war" then it was illegal without Congressional approval.

Killing a high ranking official from a sovereign country is usually considered an act of war.

Think of an officer who enters someone's home and kills a dangerous criminal. Unless the officer can prove there was an imminent threat it is illegal for him to enter the home without approval of a court's warrant.

Usually considered an act of war.

But usually high ranking officials from a sovereign country don't personally go to other countries and arm and train terrorists and militias to murder other countries troops.

The protection kind of gets washed away at that point. If Mark Esper personally flew to Hong Kong with a shitload of explosives and RPGs and armed, taught, and led the protesters how to effectively use them to kill pro-Chinese (and they murdered a shitton of civilians in the process) then Mark Esper wouldn't have the same protections as a high ranking official from a sovereign country.