ISIS is clearly responsible for genocide

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said today that ISIS has committed genocide. "ISIS is clearly responsible for genocide against Yazidis, Christians and Shia Muslims," Tillerson told reporters gathered in the State Department's Treaty Room, adding that his statement should "remove any ambiguity from previous statements or reports by the State Department."

Just last month, after rumors that the term had been removed from official documents, a group of six senators sent a letter to Tillerson seeking clarification on the department's position on genocide perpetrated by ISIS. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert later clarified that the word "has not been removed" and said Tillerson "firmly believes" ISIS' actions constitute genocide.

Previous administrations have been cautious about labeling conflicts genocide, in some cases because the United Nations' Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide calls genocide “a crime under international law” which signatories, including the United States, should “prevent and to punish.” It does not, however, explicitly commit those countries to any specific actions.