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Comment by pmachinery | Hacker News Reader

> Attacking a hospital is a war crime,

Strictly speaking, if people we don't like attack a hospital it's a war crime; if we do it, it's an accident.

> so how is it not terrorism?

Murdering civilians during a war is a war crime; that doesn't mean murder automatically equals terrorism outside of war.

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This is the accident the commenter is referring to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunduz_hospital_airstrike

Note that Doctors Without Borders believes it was deliberate.

Come on. Blowing up a hospital is a crime, and arguably terrorism. Disabling the hospital and systematically preventing it from treating patients is a lesser thing. But still arguably terrorism if done intentionally.

And yes, it matters if an enemy or friend does it. That's so obvious to not merit discussion.

How is it "arguably terrorism" and not extortion?

Because of the confusion, death and fear it creates. It's a hospital, remember?

Perhaps you should remember your own argument, or at least decide what it is, before continuing with the condescending attitude.

First it was terrorism because it's deliberate; now it's terrorism because it creates confusion, death and fear.

Here's just one example that checks all those boxes and is, of course, not terrorism:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercy_Hospital_shooting

Is this just pedantry? I'm making room for an interpretation, that's all. Hospitals are a special case. No reason to read any attitude into it. And no reason for a deliberately argumentative response.

Come on. I already posted a link showing that hospitals are not a special case, remember? That's so obvious to not merit discussion.

...showing one emotionally distraught person is not a planned attack on an entire hospital. Please.

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