Brian Finucane

Deep sigh

The whole war is a crime

But need more facts to assess whether individual attacks are war crimes

Snippets from recent interviews and conversations:

This is not a game. Real people are dying—US service members; foreign civilians; foreign combatants—for an unnecessary war on a whim.

There is no despair. Only working harder.

Don't know if the US hit the refinery.

If the refinery was a civilian object (a question) then an intentional attack upon it would be a war crime.

After sinking Iranian ship, did the US Navy commit a war crime? Hegseth says rules of engagement are 'stupid' but leaving survivors to drown violates laws America helped to put in place after World War II

Some thoughts:
"I can't assess whether the U.S. undertook ‘all possible measures’ to search for and collect the shipwrecked without having a better idea of what was possible in this situation. But I certainly think the U.S. military needs to explain itself.”
responsiblestatecraft.org/sinking-iran...

Pleased to speak with @huffpost.com along with some sharp LOAC experts about the sinking of the Iranian warship.

As I noted, tho I don't have all the relevant info, there's a general cause for concern as this "secretary of defense has a long track record of denigrating the law of war.”

Trump's Iran War Violates International Law, Experts Say The United States insists it attacked Iran to curb "direct threats" from the Islamic republic, but legal experts say the dangers cited by Washington do not justify war under international law.

Pleased to share some thoughts on the administration’s shifting justifications and objectives in Iran—including to push back on Rubio’s “Israel made us attack Iran” argument.

www.barrons.com/news/trump-s...

classic

And been listening to ‘Year Zero’ again quite a bit.

My read as well.

And of course, the “both fighting terrorism” was a Bibi project dating back to the 1980s.

there won't be any knock-on effects, right?

Yes, that is my understanding. But such coordination does not mean Bibi and Trump have the same end state in mind.

agreed

they wanted to nuke it because they wanted a war

and ultimately got one

Threshold question as to who conducted the strike because Israel and the US appear to be pursuing different objectives.

If Israel, state degradation/collapse.

Is US, compellence to accept Venezuela model(?).

Seeing them play 'Smallpox Champion' in a VFW hall in Louisville in 1998 was an all time top musical experience.

(recounting not for the first time)

Yep. Yesterday. Enjoyed them.

Absolutely.

Listened to it yesterday. Really enjoyed it. Could definitely hear the differences from the album but preferred some of them.

In On The Kill Taker

Drove around a misty DC this morning listening to this classic with my boy.

open.spotify.com/album/6jEiEc...

Anyone have a good write up of the SHIELD/Hydra confab?

Show me your work.

I worked hard to find one back in the day and couldn’t.

As DHS Secretary he will personally wrestle any threats to the homeland.

But I don’t want facts to get in the way of my vibes based LOAC analysis

When my organic chemistry and war crimes accountability backgrounds intersect…

A world historic individual

Initially.

In the Zylon B trial, the company executives who supplied it to the SS claimed they did so for “delousing” in the camps.

The court found they knew it be used for mass murder instead. Some of them were hanged.

Remember learning about the process in organic chemistry class. Mind blowing stuff.

And then the professor explained Haber’s subsequent contributions to what would become Zyklon B. Sigh.

The “better to reign in hell than serve in heaven” administration

Folks, very happy to announce that the spring peepers are out.

U.S. government

Worked on the USG responses to those incidents and was just thinking of those parallels.

Whether that bears on his decision making remains to be seen. Unfortunately I’m skeptical.