(Henry Spencer) wrote:

In a combat zone, by international law...

You might want to search
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jksonc/...tatements.html

for any use of the words "combat zone" by JCS Chairman Crowe,
President Reagan or others in authority at the time. Wonder why they
didn't?

You might also want to note from
http://www.military.com/Resources/Re...,30959,00.html

"A combat zone is any area the President of the United States
designates by Executive Order as an area in which the U.S. Armed
Forces are engaging or have engaged in combat. An area usually becomes
a combat zone and ceases to be a combat zone on the dates the
President designates by Executive Order..

"by Executive Order No, 12744, [the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of
Oman, etc.] were designated as a combat zone beginning January 17,
1991."

There was no such designation in effect in July 1988. Which is why
quite a few other airlines, not just "the idiots" at Iran Air, were
routinely using routine corridors over the Persian Gulf every day that
summer.

I agree entirely with you about civilians' responsibility not to do
stupid things in a combat zone. But that status has a formal basis;
you don't get to invoke it _ad hoc_ after the (embarrassing) fact.