Choice/fair Targets

[KARL]

Some of the Iranian targets Trump insists he has in his sights may be among these, or else will be others similar to these. I have been to all but two pictured
https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-51007585

God bless America.

[Old_Geezer]

One suspects his statement was worded to instill fear that such sites would be targeted, or at least make folk unsure. But without military worth it seems unlikely to me. Sites near military or communications centres may be at some risk though.

[rowanwitch]

If he does he will be a war criminal... To destroy such beauty a criminal against humanity, while he is part of humanity we are lessened as a species.

[Peter Pedant]

i was surprised tht AB's most favoured pres
{resident trump that is !
was threatening cultural sites as I thought that was a war-crime ( Banyan statues etc)

and it is ! Germany had to pay for the burning of Louvain university and its library in Aug 1914

but hey it is Pres Trump so that is er all right

[Peter Pedant]

// One suspects his statement was worded to instill fear that such sites would be targeted, //

last time in Luxor ( yup King Tut and all that) I mentioned to some Yanks that 70 years ago the american president and congress had agree to keep $1bn in certain African countries ( and elsewhere)

nd this had basically paid for the unesco effort to save the heritage archeological sites upstream from the Aswan Dam

and they looked at me like I was John the Baptist or something

(and now we have Trump - well there is inevitable progress for you!)

[douglas9401]

Just a fat bully breaking other kids toys because he can.

At least he won't want a library with his name on it, maybe just an orange phone with the buttons smeared with Mcsauce.

[KARL]

From a different BBC report:

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appeared to try to soften the threat by saying the US would act within international law.

But the president later repeated his threat, saying: "They're allowed to kill our people, they're allowed to torture and maim our people, they're allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people - and we're not allowed to touch their cultural site? It doesn't work that way."

Stable genius.

[CrapAtCryptics]

Thats more the kind of thing that Isil, Boko Haram etc would do - I tend to think that infrastructure, parliament buidings and laboratories etc will be at risk.

[youngmafbog]

I see the anti Trumpers are out.

Does anyone seriously think he will go for this over military targets and personell?

What he has done is place the seed of doubt. Unlike Barry he is not an appeaser and will do the unconventional. I suspect Iran senior brass will be wondering exactly how to deal with him.

[KARL]

Stable geniuses are the most difficult of subjects......

[youngmafbog]

Well, time will tell wont it?

[cassa333]

Was it ISIS that broke up all those religious sites a few years ago? What happened about that?

If I remember rightly a lot or words of condemnation but nothing much else.

However the trouble with targeting cultural sites is that they are populated by non military people and targeting them is an international no no unless you are a terrorist.

[sevenOP]

I am not sure what could be 'fair' about targets, but politics can involve a huge amount of bluff, especially supranational politics. And Trump plays that business game.
What really goes on in the background we will likely never know (holy cloak of national security) and people are ruled over and their rulers largely make the decisions except in very exceptional circumstance. ( eg imminent threat of overthrow)
Such a shame that the UN tool the came into creation after WW2 was/is as much a charade as the League of Nations was and there is no arbiter existent.

[naomi24]

//Does anyone seriously think he will go for this over military targets and personell? //

Not me... but it pleases others to think so.

[ludwig]

//Does anyone seriously think he will go for this over military targets and personell? //

No, but he'd probably do both if he had the option.