Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

Honest question:

If an embassy started blaring very loud music (or a siren), can the US do anything about it?

Likewise, if they started emitting strong microwaves at people, can the US do anything about it?

It seems like there must be some limitation to what you can do from the embassy to people outside of it.




The loud music would draw a political rebuke / protest response, and then after if it didn't cease, it would plausibly draw some kind of tit for tat response in the other nation. The US can expel diplomats and isolate an embassy (eg cut power, water, etc), essentially making it non-maintainable (inhospitable) as a position. It could also surround it literally, effectively sealing it off to access, preventing the ability to leave (with predictable consequences).

The strong microwaves would be treated as an act of war: an attack on Americans, on American soil, by a foreign power. If it didn't immediately stop, the US would invade that foreign soil and do whatever it decided was required.


Given that embassies are not actually foreign soil, if the offense was bad enough, US authorities will simply storm the place and make it stop.

But that's a drastic action that won't happen before many other options have been tried.




Consider applying for YC's Spring batch! Applications are open till Feb 11.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: