Trump Threatens To Commit War Crimes

Yesterday, cowardly sociopath and unstable serial liar Donald "Cadet Bone Spurs" Trump was blustering in a series of tweets that he would unleash attacks on various sites in Iran if they retaliated for the assassination of Iranian Gen. Soleimani. The key tweets:

....targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020

As a number of sources have pointed out, Trump's threat to attack targets "important to Iran and the Iranian culture" is an explicit threat to commit war crimes. To wit, from the Hague Convention (1907), "Annex to the Laws and Customs of War," Section II, Chapter 1, Articles 23, 25, and 27:

       Art. 23.

In addition to the prohibitions provided by special Conventions, it is especially forbidden -

To employ poison or poisoned weapons;

To kill or wound treacherously individuals belonging to the hostile nation or army;

To kill or wound an enemy who, having laid down his arms, or having no longer means of defence, has surrendered at discretion;

To declare that no quarter will be given;

To employ arms, projectiles, or material calculated to cause unnecessary suffering;

To make improper use of a flag of truce, of the national flag or of the military insignia and uniform of the enemy, as well as the distinctive badges of the Geneva Convention;

To destroy or seize the enemy's property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war;

To declare abolished, suspended, or inadmissible in a court of law the rights and actions of the nationals of the hostile party. A belligerent is likewise forbidden to compel the nationals of the hostile party to take part in the operations of war directed against their own country, even if they were in the belligerent's service before the commencement of the war. [snip] 

Art. 25.

The attack or bombardment, by whatever means, of towns, villages, dwellings, or buildings which are undefended is prohibited. 

Art. 27.

In sieges and bombardments all necessary steps must be taken to spare, as far as possible, buildings dedicated to religion, art, science, or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals, and places where the sick and wounded are collected, provided they are not being used at the time for military purposes. (emphasis added)

In addition to the trial in the U.S. Senate for his impeachment and removal from office, he could have a trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague somewhere in his future.