Law Of War/ROE Flashcards
1
Q
Law of War defines
A
- that part of war that regulates the conduct of armed hostilities.
- The purpose is to prevent unnecessary suffering, safeguard certain fundamental human rights of those involved in a conflict, and to ultimately restore peace.
2
Q
Evolution and development of Law of War
A
- Hague Convention of 1907
2. Geneva Convention of 1949
3
Q
Principles of the Law of War
A
- Military necessity
- Proportionality
- Avoid unnecessary suffering
- Distinction
4
Q
Combatants
A
- those who are lawfully entitled to engage in hostilities. These include:
• Members of the armed forces.
• Members of a regular militia or volunteer units.
• Members of guerrilla units.
• Levee en Masse (members of a non-occupied nation who take up arms against an enemy). - Characteristics include:
• Wearing of a fixed and distinct uniform.
• Open carriage of arms.
• Acting under the command of a responsible leader.
• Obeying the law of war. - are protected under the law of war.
5
Q
Noncombatants
A
1. those who may accompany combatants but do not perform in that capacity. Examples include: • Correspondents. • Technical personnel. • Contractors. • Medical personnel. • Chaplains. • Other civilians.
- The law of war states that these persons may not be the
sole subjects of an attack, and warring parties must
minimize damage to any noncombatant or civilian
population involved. - are also protected under the law of war.
6
Q
Spies
A
- as those who act under false pretenses in order to obtain information and communicate that information back to a hostile or potentially hostile party.
- is not a violation of the law of war, but agents captured are prosecutable under the laws of the nation in which they are captured.
- are not a protected partyunder the law of war.
7
Q
Terrorists, Insurgents, Saboteurs, Partisans
A
- are not protected by the law of war.
- The only exception to this rule is if the parties act in line with the definition of a protected combatant, they must:
• Wear a distinguishable or distinct uniform.
• Openly carry arms.
• Act under a distinguishable leader while they themselves operate under the law of war.
8
Q
Detainees and EPWs
A
- All persons we detain on the battlefield, regardless of their
status, are treated the same. All detainees have rights
under the Geneva Convention that guide us in their
handling.
2. The following rules dictate our handling of detained persons: • Search: • Silence: • Safeguard: • Segregate: • Speed: • Tag:
9
Q
Protected Places
A
- Protected places are buildings or structures that are not
considered valid military targets. Examples of these structures are:
• Hospitals.
• Churches.
• Mosques. - However, once enemy forces utilize these structures, they
become valid military objectives; for example, enemy forces
staging attacks from a hospital or an IED trigger-man
utilizing a minaret of a mosque to conduct an attack on
coalition convoys.
10
Q
Weapons and Law of War
A
- Lasers are only to be used for their intended use, such as marking targets and terminal guidance of munitions.
- Small Arms Munitions The Marine Corps defines small arms ammunition as those of 40mm size and below.
- Incendiaries are lawful as long as utilized in a manner
that does not cause unnecessary suffering.
• Napalm.
• Flame-throwers.
• White phosphorus. - Fragmentary ammunition (such as mortars and hand grenades) is legal as long as it is not used in an illegal manner such as against a protected structure.
- Landmines and Booby Traps - Weapons in this category (such as Claymore mines) are authorized with the premise that suffering is minimized.
- Riot Control Agents Riot control agents (such as pepper spray and tear gas) are incapacitating agents. Presidential approval is the only authorization that allows these weapons to be used.
- Non-lethal Weapons (such as rubber bullets and bean bag
rounds) are lawful. - Chemical and Biological Weapons - “treacherous means of warfare” and are prohibited under the law of war.
11
Q
Tactics and the Law of War
A
- Ruses
- Treachery
- Assassination
- Reprisal
12
Q
Ruses
A
- is a tactic in which the actions injure the enemy as a result of legitimate deception. Examples include:
• Planting fictitious units via false information.
• Putting up dummy installations.
• False communication transmissions.
• Using a small force to simulate a larger unit. - are accepted under the law of war.
13
Q
Treachery
A
- is a means of injuring the enemy through his adherence to the law of war.
- An example would be feigning, such as faking injury or truce in order to lure enemy into range to engage. Misuse of the Red Cross or any other noncombatant organization is also classified as a form of treachery.
- is a violation of the law of war.
14
Q
Assassination
A
- is the act of specifically targeting a predominant person, usually an important political figure, to kill.
- Under the law of war, targeting military leadership is legal; however, killing of purely civilian heads of state is prohibited.
15
Q
Reprisal
A
- is a like response to an illegal attack, such as a chemical response to a chemical attack. By definition, this act is supposed to get the enemy to adhere to the law of war.
- This act is prohibited under the law of war.