In the wake of these hearings, many prominent members of both political parties have alleged that Russia’s actions amount to an Act of War. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) claimed, in a House Homeland Security Committee meeting, that Russia’s actions constituted “a form of war on our fundamental democratic principles.”
Some took it even further: Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) claimed that Russia’s actions were akin to a “political Pearl Harbor.” Former Vice President Dick Cheney has also argued that “in some quarters, [Russia’s actions] would be considered an act of war.” Senator John McCain (D-Ariz.), one of the original proponents of this viewpoint, was also one its most vocal advocates. Unfortunately, the term Act of War has a particular meaning under international law and is not appropriate as a metaphorical, rhetorical tool.
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