[MrLee]

Why is this incident being treated as a “crime” instead of an act of war?

[Kaslin]

Because it is a crime

[vimto]

I think it may be because if it is an act of war’ in a legal sense the Geneva convention has to be invoked, Certainly that was the case in the UK where the Brit government refused to call the conflict with the IRA a ‘War”.

[billbears]

Why is this incident being treated as a “crime” instead of an act of war?

And who would you claim was the supporting state behind this group? Sort of need that to declare 'war' against someone (well unless you're the US government, they declare war on all sorts of nouns)

Course the description 'crime' itself may be a little too harsh when you look at some of the facts known about the case.