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Exactly. This is just western media trying to project some morality to what was an internationally illegal act ... (and perhaps some in the media hoping against

Exactly. This is just western media trying to project some morality to what was an internationally illegal act ... (and perhaps some in the media hoping against hope this publicity would please the dear, glorious leaders of Israel and the US to end the war).

flyinglizard 8mo ago
International law being thrown around a lot. Seems like everyone is an int’l law expert, even though it’s quite an exotic speciality. So please go ahead and tell me, where does International Law prohibit a state that’s at war with another to assassinate its head of state?
- sssilver 8mo ago
  Preventive war (attacking to neutralize a future, non-imminent threat) is considered illegal under modern international law. The UN Charter restricts the use of force to UN Security Council authorization or self-defense against an actual, imminent armed attack, making preventive actions, which target potential future dangers, unlawful.
  - flyinglizard 8mo ago
    Israel and Iran are involved in active hostilities for a long time now, direct or by proxies. Furthermore, US and Israel are making the case for a preemptive war with the advent of the Iranian nuclear program (whether you believe it or not, that’s beside the point), and those are legal.
  - jasomill 8mo ago
    It also allows any one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, including the US, to unilateraly veto any binding resolution that imposes sanctions for violating said law, with no established rules or even informal expectations that they recuse themselves when conflicts of interest arise.
- wqaatwt 8mo ago
  US is not at war with Iran. Only the Congress has the right to declare war.
  - pferde 8mo ago
    Ok, call it a "special military operation" if you want. A war by any other name would smell just as bad. And what is Congress - or any other part of the US government - going to do about the pedophile not following rules? Stop him? How? Every potential check and balance has either been defanged or is controlled by his supporters.
    - wqaatwt 8mo ago
      Probably nothing. Also it’s not like the Democrats have much moral high ground to stand on here either (considering that Obama did more or less the same thing several times). But congress can of course stop Trump from doing this and a whole bunch of other stuff. The problem is that it just chose not to and to give up much of its powers to the executive over the years (in practice if not legally) due to partisan reasons..
  - koolala 8mo ago
    Why can't you be at war without officially declaring it? We have had lots of wars not declared by congress. Korean War, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq. This seems like a weird way to think.
    - wqaatwt 8mo ago
      Explicit authorization is still required even if there there is no explicit declaration of war. The caveat being that the president only needs to get the approval of congress after 60 days. And of course Obama established a precedent with his intervention in Libya which weakened this even more…
      - koolala 8mo ago
        Being required legally doesn't change the actual fact of war. Sure it is breaking the law. I don't see how Libya is the one in the long list to set this precedent of illegally non-declared war.
- anon291 8mo ago
  International law == who has biggest guns
UltraSane 8mo ago
International Law doesn't really exist.
- khazhoux 8mo ago
  This planet uses international law. [Accept all international laws] [Accept only necessary international laws] [Customize settings]
- throwaway2037 8mo ago
  Honestly, I am disappointed that your comment was downvoted. You raise a good, if uncomfortable, point. I too tire of the well-worn phrase: "XYZ is illegal under international law". To me, interntional law is only useful for medium-sized (population-wise) states and smaller. Once you are a nation with a large population, then you can afford a large military and do whatever you want. Sure, people won't always like what you do, but there is very little they can do to stop it. Look at all the crazy shit that US, China, and Russia has been up to in the last 10 years -- plenty of violations, but few teeth to stop it. Even Israel, which is a very small state, but backed by a global superpower, has done many terrible things in Gaza.

flyinglizard 8mo ago

International law being thrown around a lot. Seems like everyone is an int’l law expert, even though it’s quite an exotic speciality. So please go ahead and tell me, where does International Law prohibit a state that’s at war with another to assassinate its head of state?

sssilver 8mo ago
Preventive war (attacking to neutralize a future, non-imminent threat) is considered illegal under modern international law. The UN Charter restricts the use of force to UN Security Council authorization or self-defense against an actual, imminent armed attack, making preventive actions, which target potential future dangers, unlawful.
- flyinglizard 8mo ago
  Israel and Iran are involved in active hostilities for a long time now, direct or by proxies. Furthermore, US and Israel are making the case for a preemptive war with the advent of the Iranian nuclear program (whether you believe it or not, that’s beside the point), and those are legal.
- jasomill 8mo ago
  It also allows any one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, including the US, to unilateraly veto any binding resolution that imposes sanctions for violating said law, with no established rules or even informal expectations that they recuse themselves when conflicts of interest arise.
wqaatwt 8mo ago
US is not at war with Iran. Only the Congress has the right to declare war.
- pferde 8mo ago
  Ok, call it a "special military operation" if you want. A war by any other name would smell just as bad. And what is Congress - or any other part of the US government - going to do about the pedophile not following rules? Stop him? How? Every potential check and balance has either been defanged or is controlled by his supporters.
  - wqaatwt 8mo ago
    Probably nothing. Also it’s not like the Democrats have much moral high ground to stand on here either (considering that Obama did more or less the same thing several times). But congress can of course stop Trump from doing this and a whole bunch of other stuff. The problem is that it just chose not to and to give up much of its powers to the executive over the years (in practice if not legally) due to partisan reasons..
- koolala 8mo ago
  Why can't you be at war without officially declaring it? We have had lots of wars not declared by congress. Korean War, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq. This seems like a weird way to think.
  - wqaatwt 8mo ago
    Explicit authorization is still required even if there there is no explicit declaration of war. The caveat being that the president only needs to get the approval of congress after 60 days. And of course Obama established a precedent with his intervention in Libya which weakened this even more…
    - koolala 8mo ago
      Being required legally doesn't change the actual fact of war. Sure it is breaking the law. I don't see how Libya is the one in the long list to set this precedent of illegally non-declared war.
anon291 8mo ago
International law == who has biggest guns

UltraSane 8mo ago

International Law doesn't really exist.

khazhoux 8mo ago
This planet uses international law. [Accept all international laws] [Accept only necessary international laws] [Customize settings]
throwaway2037 8mo ago
Honestly, I am disappointed that your comment was downvoted. You raise a good, if uncomfortable, point. I too tire of the well-worn phrase: "XYZ is illegal under international law". To me, interntional law is only useful for medium-sized (population-wise) states and smaller. Once you are a nation with a large population, then you can afford a large military and do whatever you want. Sure, people won't always like what you do, but there is very little they can do to stop it. Look at all the crazy shit that US, China, and Russia has been up to in the last 10 years -- plenty of violations, but few teeth to stop it. Even Israel, which is a very small state, but backed by a global superpower, has done many terrible things in Gaza.