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A comment on Airmen who surveil the Islamic State never get to look away. Parent comment

Re:Airmen who surveil the Islamic State never get to look away by hasenj on Friday July 07, 2017 @05:55AM (#14717222)
> A military organization, such as that described in this article, seeks to minimize civilian casualties to the utmost possible extent.

This has only become the case officially after WWII.

And frankly I think the only reason this even matters is the media.

Civilian lives meant absolutely nothing and were considered fair target during war.

Millions died in WWII from intentional fire bombing campaigns on urban areas by the allied forces.

Same in the Korean war.

Same during the Vietnam war.

Civilians were purposely targeted to "demoralize the enemy" and force them to surrender.

The official difference between war and terrorism is that war must be officially declared by a government and have specific objectives and once the objective is reached then the killing should stop.

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Re:Airmen who surveil the Islamic State never get to look away by vain on Friday July 07, 2017 @06:00AM (#14717241)
> The official difference between war and terrorism is that war must be officially declared by a government and have specific objectives and once the objective is reached then the killing should stop.

What's your source for this definition?

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Re:Airmen who surveil the Islamic State never get to look away by hordeallergy on Friday July 07, 2017 @06:08AM (#14717267)
Also, haven't isil declared war, and with specific objectives?
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Re:Airmen who surveil the Islamic State never get to look away by vacri on Friday July 07, 2017 @08:10AM (#14717756)
ISIL's actions in the war zone are acts of war and have fairly standard military objectives. ISIL's actions against uninvolved countries by directly attacking their citizens is terrorism. It's not an either/or situation.
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Re:Airmen who surveil the Islamic State never get to look away by throwanem on Friday July 07, 2017 @07:36AM (#14717626)
Which government has recognized ISIL's claim to sovereignty in those territories it still holds, or indeed in any territory at all?
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Re:Airmen who surveil the Islamic State never get to look away by vacri on Friday July 07, 2017 @08:11AM (#14717760)
The US and Russia both have claims to sovereignty there!?
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Re:Airmen who surveil the Islamic State never get to look away by throwanem on Friday July 07, 2017 @08:13AM (#14717768)
ISIL's claim is the one under discussion, though. That's the one whose recognition would signify in the question of whether their actions are legitimate warfare, by the standard cited earlier in this thread. US and Russian claims are a different question altogether.
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Re:Airmen who surveil the Islamic State never get to look away by omginternets on Friday July 07, 2017 @08:15AM (#14717776)
>And frankly I think the only reason this even matters is the media.

So the media is doing it's job, then? I don't see the problem.

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Re:Airmen who surveil the Islamic State never get to look away by hasenj on Friday July 07, 2017 @10:08AM (#14718409)
I wasn't complaining about the media. Just pointing out that if the media wasn't there to agitate people about all the innocent people being killed, WWII-like strategies would be still be officially seen as fair and legitimate tactics even now.
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