Serious question: Is it fair to call the suicide bombing a 'terror attack' if the target was troops occupying your country

Wow, there are so many hot takes today after 13 U.S. service members and around 100 Afghans were killed in a terror attack in Afghanistan. But hold on a minute? Is it fair to call what happened Thursday a terror attack? The Root’s Michael Harriot is being 100 percent serious about asking that question. Because what if the attack is on foreign troops occupying your country?

I’m being 100 percent serious when I ask this question:

Is it fair to call it a “terror attack” if you target foreign troops occupying your country?

— Michael Harriot (@michaelharriot) August 26, 2021

A lot of Harriot’s followers say no, it’s not fair — it’s all a matter of perspective.

"I'm just asking questions" for $400, Alex.

ISIS-K doesn't represent the government of Afghanistan, old or new, so what is this "your country" stuff.

It was a public attack intended to incite terror, so yeah, it was a terror attack, no quotes needed.

— 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙡 𝙂. 𝙍𝙤𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙤𝙣 (@daguro) August 26, 2021

I’m being 100 percent serious when I ask this question: Did you just hit your head, have a hard object come in contact with your head, were in a vehicular accident, etc.,? https://t.co/AK6Wezyu4m

— Tracy Nickels-Bishop (@JusticeBlaze) August 27, 2021

Is there something in the water? What the fuck is wrong with people. https://t.co/VsdYS5ILN3

— Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) August 27, 2021

You do realize the terror attack killed 90 Afghans… https://t.co/cHH9ut9LSS

— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) August 26, 2021

Tweets like this are the reason it is necessary to have a tactical, unemotional definition of terrorism. And by that definition, yes: these were nonstate actors directly targeting civilians with violence in order to indirectly influence the policies of several governments. https://t.co/WbsEbRmo9K

— (C)an you feel the sha(M)e tonight? (@realcinematik) August 27, 2021

In a day of bad takes, this one ranks high. https://t.co/wgf73B7OUx

— Back off, War Child (@silver_shots) August 27, 2021

They're not anti-war. They're rooting for the other side. https://t.co/8i4DtZ3MUf

— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) August 26, 2021

Fundamentalist progressivism is essentially if tacitly supportive of violence that fits an anti-western narrative but not usually expressed this brazenly. https://t.co/8t70Qmu8yB

— Culpability Jones (@ShineboxHukster) August 27, 2021

Imagine tweeting this after seeing all the human tragedy we witnessed today. Really disturbing (but not shocking at all) to see so many “anti-war progressives” whitewashing crimes against civilians because they loathe the United States so much. https://t.co/9ra4oRvXDf

— Sophie (@florida_sophia) August 27, 2021

This is at least the 3rd "journalist" that I've read who is cheerleading for the Taliban. Fantastic! https://t.co/Nt52b9Z6CA

— Tony Bolognavitch (@Bsneed51) August 27, 2021

This is who they are. https://t.co/3bAC0iA5bG

— Chad Felix Greene 🇮🇱 (@chadfelixg) August 26, 2021

This is gross. Not only is Afghanistan not "ISIS's country" but over 90 Afghan civilians were killed in the attack not just the 13 U.S. troops https://t.co/Gz27YofG71

— Blake Allen (@Blake_Allen13) August 27, 2021

If your question suggests ISIS-K might potentially have legit killing rights at Afghan airports — as long as they manage to kill some "occupying" troops whilst massacring Afghan civilians — I'm not sure I'd consider it "serious". https://t.co/niLEBevicc

— Ibrahim S. Amin (@Ibrahim_S_Amin) August 27, 2021

https://twitter.com/ScottCoenen/status/1431051090833838085

Jesus. What a hot take… https://t.co/bssHD6XNcd

— Ed Fidgeon-Kavanagh (@Clearpreso) August 27, 2021

Siraj can have an entire list from today alone https://t.co/x5V95bHS1o

— LB (@beyondreasdoubt) August 27, 2021

A lot of people vying for the title of biggest scumbag on twitter today. https://t.co/Yd8AX6Bmkd

— Chief Impact Officer BT (@back_ttys) August 27, 2021

Worst take all day, and there have been some doozies. @ComfortablySmug https://t.co/QD801sp68l

— I Might Be Donna (@Crypsis12) August 27, 2021

https://twitter.com/AdamKiesel22/status/1431043691288858626

Unreal.

Related:

Chris Hayes reminds us that ‘probably A THOUSAND people’ are going to die from COVID-19 today https://t.co/1UbvVMjhjS

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 26, 2021