Silent Deaths in War. War deaths are horrifying deaths on a mass scale.
Unlike some other on the various D.U. postings about the sinking, I take no position on the morality or legality of the submarine attack. International Law and/or history will determine the legality and morality of the war but I believe that:
1) We do not know whether the Captain and/or sailors on the sub knew that the Iranian ship was armed or not at the time. If they did not, any blame belongs on those that ordered the attack.
2) Any warship in times of a legitimate war are legitimate targets, whether ready to fight or just empty. You don't wait until they load the ship with ammunition before attacking.
3) Ships carrying war supplies such as tankers, ammo ships, etc. are also legitimate targets whether armed or not.
4) Combatants, whether sitting on the front lines "loaded for bear" or at their bases sleeping are legitimate targets.
5) Combatants surrendering or, in good faith, negotiating surrender are not legitimate targets.
6) Bombing cities and civilian targets become a gray area but obvious ones like schools and hospitals are off limits.
7) Gloating over enemy deaths is not legitimate. Those Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine are largely ignorant of the real reasons for the attack. Most fighters do so for their fellow fighters or to protect "those left behind" rather than for glory or for country, whether they are there because of an insane government or a legitimate right of people to protect themselves from another country.
8) Mitigating the cost in human lives by saying it is a "silent death" or some will die for our country without remorse is not legitimate. Those Iranian sailors were human beings like the rest of us (excluding some top leaders on both sides).
This is the reason why War is Hell as General Sherman stated. Innocents die. Bombs go awry. Targeters make mistakes. Mass casualties are the result as even fighters come back maimed and disabled. Families suffer.
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