Civilian deaths resulting from the broad use of drones to strike targeted individuals under Obama was in tension with Obama’s and the United States’ public presentation of America’s approach to war. Were he to order such a strike, it would likely violate the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property, to which the United States is a signatory. Well before running for office, he argued that the United States should seize oil from Iraq to repay the costs of America’s invading that country under Bush. After Fox News panelists for years criticized Obama for handcuffing the military in its fight against terrorists, Trump took the handcuffs off quite literally. The extent to which Trump’s presidency alters international perceptions of the United States’ role over the long term remains to be seen.

Source: Washington Post January 06, 2020 15:35 UTC