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YZFtoday at 2:16 AM4 repliesview on HN

Saying things is not a war crime. So if Iranian soldiers surrendered to US soldiers and they were shot that would be a war crime. I don't think that happened? Hegseth statements could be used to support the claim of war crime under such circumstances if they were to arise. [EDIT: As a commenter suggests it is possible that simply saying this is a war crime, or at least there are some legal opinions suggesting it]

Attacking civilian targets with cluster bombs has happened and Iran is doing that as we speak. That is a war crime.

Attacking infrastructure is not a war crime if that infrastructure serves a military purpose. Attacking purely civilian use infrastructure is a war crime.

Threatening to attack civilian use infrastructure is not a war crime. Threatening to attack infrastructure used for military purposes is also not a war crime.

Mowing down protestors with machines guns is not a war crime but maybe we should consider it a crime against humanity.

EDIT: FWIW I do care about what Hegseth said. It's wrong and he shouldn't have said that. But people say stuff- what matters are the actions.


Replies

bjournetoday at 8:44 AM

0 evidence of the "mowing down protestors with machine guns" claim. Plz don't spread rumors.

8notetoday at 2:38 AM

There are some actual acts that count as war crimes as well, that Hegsdeth has overseen - killing civilians off the coast of venesuela by attacking and sinking fishing boats, but also then killing the civilians after theyve jumped ship.

then in the iran conflict, leaving the sailors to drown after sinking iran's show boat with a sub

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etc-hoststoday at 2:28 AM

I think the US destroyed a strategically important elementary school on the first day of the war.

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Shivatrontoday at 2:33 AM

> Saying things is not a war crime.

On the contrary, there appear to be good legal arguments that Hegseth merely saying "no quarter" is, on its own, a war crime:

https://www.justsecurity.org/133970/legal-advice-hegseth-no-...

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