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...there is widespread opposition within the Trump administration to targeting cultural sites in Ira
Senior US officials say there is widespread opposition within the Trump administration to targeting cultural sites in Iran
By Jim Sciutto, Chief National Security Correspondent
Updated 3:42 PM ET, Sun January 5, 2020
Washington (CNN)Two senior US officials on Sunday described widespread opposition within the administration to targeting cultural sites in Iran should the United States launch retaliatory strikes against Tehran, despite President Donald Trump saying a day before that such sites are among dozens the US has identified as potential targets.
"Nothing rallies people like the deliberate destruction of beloved cultural sites. Whether ISIS's destruction of religious monuments or the burning of the Leuven Library in WWI, history shows targeting locations giving civilization meaning is not only immoral but self-defeating," one of the officials told CNN.
"The Persian people hold a deeply influential and beautiful history of poetry, logic, art and science. Iran's leaders do not live up to that history. But America would be better served by leaders who embrace Persian culture, not threaten to destroy it," they added.
"Consistent with laws and norms of armed conflict, we would respect Iranian culture," the second senior US official said.
"The Persian people hold a deeply influential and beautiful history of poetry, logic, art and science. Iran's leaders do not live up to that history. But America would be better served by leaders who embrace Persian culture, not threaten to destroy it," they added.
"Consistent with laws and norms of armed conflict, we would respect Iranian culture," the second senior US official said.
Another official who formerly worked in both the Trump and Obama administrations told CNN: "As a matter of principle, we as a nation and as a military do not attack the culture sites of any adversary."
Additionally, several sources tell CNN there are no indications at this time that the US would strike cultural sites in Iran.
Pompeo backs Trump's threats to Iran as US braces for possible retaliation
The comments from the current and former officials come hours after Trump, in a series of tweets on Saturday, threatened to attack 52 Iranian sites -- including cultural ones -- should the country respond with military force to a US strike in Iraq last week that killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani and several others.
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https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/05/politics/iranian-cultural-sites-us-strikes-donald-trump/index.html
