Week 6

Question 1

What is the purpose of the armed forces?

Answer 1

• To protect the freedom and territorial integrity of the UK and dependent territories
• to act as a force for good by strengthening international peace and security.

Question 2

What are the tasks of the armed forces?

Answer 2

• Defend the UK and its overseas territories
• Provide strategic intelligence
• provide nuclear deterrence
• support civil emergency organisations in times of crisis
• Defend out interests by projecting power strategically and through expeditionary interventions
• provide a defence contribution to UK influence
• provide security for stabilisation.

Question 3

What are some contingent operations of the armed forces overseas?

Answer 3

• humanitarian assistance (on request of the department for international development)
• evacuation of British citizens overseas
• Peacekeeping
• Peace Enforcement
• Power Projection
• focussed intervention
• Deliberate Intervention

Question 4

What is the difference between humanitarian assistance, and humanitarian/disaster relief operations?

Answer 4

humanitarian disaster relief is a SPECIFIC planned operation, with a CIVIL LEAD and a benign posture.
Humanitarian assistance is the use of already deployed forces, with a MILITARY LEAD and civilian co-ordination.

Question 5

What are the main drivers for military involvement in health provision?

Answer 5

• International humanitarian law obligations: 4th Geneva convention.
• Public Service Deliver: Expedite the processes of local authorities, helping state legitimacy
• Mirroring of potential enemies
• Spare capacity and medical ethics
• Differential clinical capabilities e.g. Afghanistan
• Hearts and minds: engaging with civil populations, leading to information/intelligence sharing, as well as changing the attitude to the host government.

Question 6

What are the core principles of the Humanitarian Charter?

Answer 6

• Humanitarian action to prevent or alleviate human suffering
• right of populations to protection and assistance

Question 7

What factors contribute to increasing health worker targeting during a conflict?

Answer 7

• War is moving away from inter-state and towards internal asymmetrical conflict, so greater risk to civilians
• International health law is not enforceable

Question 8

Rules with in a humanitarian crisis are legal frameworks based on what?

Answer 8

• international humanitarian law
• international human rights law
• health care ethics
• domestic law
• humanity