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posted by
n1
on Thursday October 08 2015, @06:44PM
from the known-unknowns-of-collateral-damage dept.
from the known-unknowns-of-collateral-damage dept.
A Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) hospital was bombed by the US. Result, 12 dead staff members and 10 dead patients. The coordinates of the hospital had been communicated to the US forces before to avoid mistakes. The US admits the attack was a decision. MSF is now seeking an independent inquiry.
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Afghan Hospital Bombing: MSF Demands Investigation Under Geneva Conventions
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(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @04:37AM
Your credibility is almost zero. American? Signed up to fight the War on Terra? So you know just as much about the International Law of Armed Conflict as your superiors allowed you to. Thanks for the info on the operational points, that may help the discussion. But then you say:
after all they are not a signatory to it.
Doesn't matter, if enough nations sign on to conventions, they become "customary" law, and even not signatories can be held to it an punished for violations of it. And even in a case where one side in a conflict violated the laws of war, this does not in any way authorize the other side to respond in kind. Retaliation is a war crime. Flat out. No mitigating factors. Yes, in combat, as JEBush says, stuff happens. But if it happens on purpose, like targeting the wounded and medics, it is a war crime. And even if those responsible return to a nice cushy federal job and a military pension and are never prosecuted, they are still war criminals.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @08:02AM
The US has a stated policy of not handing over American citizens to the international court on war crimes.
Tell me, if a US state suddenly made a stated policy of not prosecuting bank robbers, how do you think people with less than perfect morals would feel about all that free money just sitting around in banks?
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday October 09 2015, @08:59AM
It doesn't matter whether the other party has signed up to the convention - the US has. You are obliged therefore to follow it.