A Tale of Two Bridges

Yesterday, on BBC Radio 4's Facebook page:

“You don’t hit schools, you don’t hit energy sources, you don’t hit bridges: those are war crimes.”

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher criticises actions in the Iran war and says leaders have chosen ‘game show gambling’ over humanity by hitting civilian infrastructure.

Many years ago, when the Allied Air Forces conducted a massive campaign to destroy rail and road bridges in France and Belgium, before and after D-Day, no one called it a war crime. Has anyone ever called it a war crime?

What about Iran's partner in crime, Russia? Well, a few years ago, when the Ukrainians hit the Crimea bridge, the Ukrainian government tweeted "Sick burn," and Russia's foreign ministry reacted by saying:

"The Kiev [Kyiv] regime's reaction towards destruction of civilian infrastructure is a testament to its terrorist nature."

It is hard to exaggerate the significance, and symbolism, of seeing the bridge on fire. Ukrainian authorities said it was a legitimate target, as they vow to retake the peninsula.

That was from BBC News, 8 October 2022.