Secretary of Defense Mark Esper bucked President Donald Trump’s threats to destroy Iran’s cultural sites on Monday.
“We will follow the laws of armed conflict,” Esper told reporters in response to questions about Trump’s aggressive remarks, per the New York Times.
“That’s the laws of armed conflict,” the Defense secretary said when one journalist asked if his response meant U.S. forces would not attack the sites because doing so constitutes a war crime.
However, Esper’s boss apparently believes otherwise.
On Saturday, Trump declared that cultural sites in Iran would be “HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD” if Tehran attacked “any Americans or American assets.”
He then doubled down on his threat on Monday, several hours before Esper’s comments.
“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,” Trump said. “And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural site? It doesn’t work that way.”
Whose laws? Trump’s? I don’t think he said what you think he said.
No, being ultra-online and more cynical than everybody else doesn’t make a viewpoint meritorious. Esper very clearly said that the US military would follow the law. It’s right what it says on the tin. “Trump’s laws” is a fundamentally incoherent concept.
The internet is exasperating.
Trump should be removed from office. He is totally nuts.
Read the whole quote.
Rules? No one dares read him the rules.
The Orange (Drama) Queen: Off with his head!