For those who still care about silly old-fashioned little things like international law here are a few laws that Trump Corleone would be be breaking if he attacks targets ‘important to the Iranian culture’:
Regarding ‘institutions dedicated to religion, charity and education, the arts,’ Article 56 of the 1907 Hague Regulations states that ‘All seizure of, destruction or wilful damage done to institutions of this character, historic monuments, works of art and science, is forbidden.’
The signatories to Art.4(3) of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property ‘undertake to prohibit, prevent and, if necessary, put a stop to any form of theft, pillage or misappropriation of, and any acts of vandalism directed against, cultural property. ‘
Though Article 36 of the 1863 Lieber Code, allows for ‘works of art, libraries, collections ’ to be ‘removed without injury...if captured by the armies of the United States’ it also prohibits such property from being ‘privately appropriated or wantonly destroyed or injured.’
More recently, Article 20(e)(iv) of the 1996 ILC Draft Code of Crimes against the Peace and Security of Mankind, defines the ‘destruction of or wilful damage done to institutions dedicated to ...historic monuments and works of art and sciences ‘ as a war crime.
While Section 6.6 of the 1999 UN Secretary-General’s Bulletin states: ‘Theft, pillage, misappropriation and any act of vandalism directed against cultural property is strictly prohibited.’
And the Annotated Supplement to the US Naval Handbook (1997) notes ‘While the United States is not a Party to the 1954 Hague Convention [for the Protection of Cultural Property], it considers it to reflect customary law.’
So the fact that Trump feels able to threaten Iranian cultural targets by tweet - completely disregarding the laws and customs of war elaborated by most countries - including his own - over the last 150 years is really quite stunning.
It’s as if the US finally has a president willing to implement those calls to ‘turn their countries into car parks’ that people like Ann Coulter made after 9/11. A president who resembles a cross between Caligula, Pere Ubu, Lucky Luciano and ...Islamic State (Palmyra anyone?)
It’s another indication of America’s descent into chaotic and increasingly fascistic lawlessness under Trump/Republican rule - aided and abetted by the likes of Fox News, Judge Jeanine, and a mob of savage pundits who have been hitching to do something like this for years...
One wonders which ‘cultural’ targets have been selected. Is it this one? 
Or this?
How about this one?
Because contrary to what the likes of Trump &Coulter would have you believe about primitive Iranian ‘ragheads’ etc, a country that wants to attack cultural targets in Iran is spoiled for choice. And a country that would consider doing a thing is worthy of universal condemnation.
And universal contempt.
@threadreaderapp please unroll
