Questions tagged [war-crime]
Questions about violations of the laws of war.
55
questions
2
votes
1
answer
126
views
Which side of the conflict in Syria used child soldiers?
According to Iranwire, the practice of child soldiers / martyrs is still happening in the region of the levant, namely in Syria:
Although the practice is most often associated the Iran-Iraq War,
...
- 2,586
3
votes
2
answers
172
views
What impact did the martyrdom of Iranian children have on the Iran-Iraq war?
Iraq's extensive use of chemical weapons, and deliberate attacks on
civilian targets.
A notable feature of the war was the state-sanctioned glorification of martyrdom among Iranian children; the ...
- 2,586
9
votes
6
answers
11k
views
Why isn't bombing cities under any circumstance a war crime? Same applies to launching attacks from cities
While there are rules in place, I think within the Geneva Conventions, regarding the protection of civilian infrastructure, the legal interpretation and application can vary. Deliberately targeting ...
- 5,904
5
votes
2
answers
618
views
Is mutilation, sexual assault and kidnappings of minors a part of Hamas' ideology or do they oppose it?
According to this recent CNN video Hamas terrorists engaged in sexual assault and mutilation of their victims, among them 13-14 year old girls. Among the 240 people kidnapped, there are at least 33 ...
- 2,586
-3
votes
1
answer
185
views
Which crime is worse - invading hospital or using it for military purpose [closed]
Due the IDF raid on Shifa hospital in Gaza, Qatar calls for international probe for Israel(1). On the other hand, giving the evidence the IDF claims to find during their raid (2), it seems that Hamas ...
- 177
3
votes
1
answer
193
views
Does international law hold an Army accountable for killings done by other groups during a military attack?
Consider a situation where a country is partially occupied by another. An army unit strikes across a border town of the occupying force. Their military objective is to destroy an enemy defensive unit, ...
- 6,680
12
votes
2
answers
3k
views
What's the largest death by starvation (estimate) count during a siege in the past 30 years, and what level of condemnation did it receive?
I was able to find out that e.g. during the 2016 siege of Fallujah, which was occupied by ISIS at the time, around 140 civilians starved. The estimate given by Wikipedia seems to come from HRW (which ...
- 145k
3
votes
3
answers
418
views
Who (if any) is the highest-ranking U.S. official who has accused Israel of committing a war crime and/or human rights violation?
It has been said that that Israel is violating human rights and committing war crimes, yet the United States consistently blocks any condemnation of Israel by utilizing its veto power in the UN, and I ...
- 5,904
4
votes
2
answers
314
views
Could the UK government be prosecuted for their role in aiding and abetting war crimes in Gaza?
Just came across this:
Prime Minister warned of intention to prosecute UK government officials for complicity in war crimes in Gaza
I don't want to rely solely on what they say on their page to assess ...
- 5,904
7
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Is there a plausible military purpose for the recent use of white phosphorus in Gaza?
news agencies and human rights groups have suggested Israel may have used white phosophorus in Gaza last week (the week starting Oct 8):
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/12/israel-white-phosphorus-...
user10094
45
votes
6
answers
15k
views
Is the Israeli "complete siege" on Gaza strip a war crime?
Reading this from BBC:
On Monday, Israel declared a "complete siege" on the territory, saying
electricity, food, fuel and water would be cut off.
Is this a war crime or illegal in any way ...
- 5,904
17
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Has there ever been an attempt to charge Israel, or its officials, with a war crime for changing the demography of the occupied Palestinian West Bank?
Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, changing the demographic composition of an occupied territory is considered a violation of international humanitarian law and classified as a war crime.
The ...
- 5,904
8
votes
1
answer
394
views
What are the recently declassified documents about the destruction of Kakhovka dam?
On 06 June 2023, in its article about the destruction of Kakhovka HPP dam, NBC News said (highlight mine):
However, two U.S. officials and one Western official earlier told NBC News that the U.S. has ...
- 17.2k
1
vote
3
answers
1k
views
Do the Geneva Conventions apply to terrorists or conflicts not of an international character?
Could terrorists and insurgents be considered unlawful combatants?
In such a case would the Geneva Conventions (even the third convention) not protect them?
user45449
23
votes
3
answers
3k
views
On what grounds do the USA-affiliated forces and citizens reside in Syria if Syrian government objects?
Last evening was marked by news of an American citizen dying in Syria.
It seems that USA hosts military personnel in a sovereign country, Syria, without the consent of that country, and reportedly ...
- 13.9k
41
votes
8
answers
8k
views
What's the point of issuing an arrest warrant for Putin given that the chances of him getting arrested are effectively zero?
As per recent news:
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant
for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in
Ukraine, a move dismissed by Moscow as ...
- 52.6k
-5
votes
2
answers
391
views
Has there been a judicial review of NATO's target selection in their bombing campaign against Serbia?
My question stems from the NATO campaign in Serbia in the 90s, a campaign that resulted in the bombing of marketplaces and hospitals, and in the destabilisation of the power grid.
I could not find any ...
- 109
-3
votes
1
answer
190
views
Does this clip represented an official admission of guilt by Bush?
When speaking at his presidential library, Bush accidentally said "Iraq" instead of Ukraine when he is condemning the illegal Russian invasion, as seen here. He also followed up his mistake ...
- 686
7
votes
1
answer
389
views
What are the safeguards, set by the US military, to reduce the risk of committing war crimes?
I am talking here about war crimes committed by individuals or units (i.e., not representing a deliberate government/military policy), such as, e.g., the My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam war. One ...
- 11.9k
4
votes
3
answers
815
views
Are military units marching in military parades considered military or civilian targets?
Russian Federation is widely expected to conduct its annual military parade on May 9th. The parade traditionally takes places on the Red Square with many "military units" marching over a ...
- 7,947
28
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Why isn't any unprovoked act of aggression considered a war crime?
I'm struggling to understand the notion of "war crimes". It refers to acts within the context of a war that are considered especially heinous and outside the normal parameters of armed ...
- 9,266
7
votes
1
answer
620
views
What mechanisms are available to "bear witness" in an explicitly non-partisan fashion, on the Bucha massacre?
As we are learning about the massacres in Bucha, it is becoming apparent there are two camps in receiving this news on the world stage:
It's real, it happened. This is certainly Ukraine and the West'...
11
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Have the leaders of UN Security Council permanent member states ever been tried for war crimes?
US leader Joe Biden has been declaring that Russian leader Vladimir Putin should face trial as a war criminal. However, both countries have permanent seats on the UN Security Council, which seems to ...
- 7,967
33
votes
12
answers
5k
views
Are there any strategic reasons that Russian authorities would allow indiscriminate killing of Ukrainian civilians?
First of all, I believe that killing unarmed civilians is evil. But I know that this is not a problem for many leaders, including Putin, so I'm taking morality out of the equation in my question.
I ...
- 2,354
0
votes
1
answer
358
views
Could Putin be tried and/or indicted for war crimes? [closed]
March 24,2022
Foreign Policy
As Russian forces escalate their assault on Ukraine,the prospect that
their commander in chief, Vladimir Putin will ever stand trial for the
crimes he committed may seem ...
- 433
8
votes
1
answer
397
views
Has Russia shown any indication, before the war, that it would court-martial its soldiers if they commit war crimes?
There is a number of reports of claims of Russian soldiers committing war crimes during the prosecution of Russia's 2022 war of aggression on Ukraine.
Usually armies prevent their own soldiers from ...
- 7,947
-4
votes
3
answers
168
views
What is the meaning of the term "Genocide" as opposed to "Crimes against Humanity"? [closed]
Genocide as a term came into being relatively after World War 2. There used to be a term earlier called Crimes against Humanity which used to be used to describe similar events. This use of this term ...
- 1,259
9
votes
3
answers
858
views
Why would countries attack civilian facilities like hospitals during war?
Very recently, on 8th March 2022, Russia allegedly has bombed a Ukrainian children’s hospital in Mariupol, as reported by among others CNN and BBC.
There have been similar incidents in the past: USA ...
9
votes
2
answers
1k
views
According to the Geneva Conventions, when can a Prisoner Of War give an interview on camera?
There's been some debate online about footage of POWs talking to the camera to say more than name, rank, and serial number, but has there been any serious academic writing on the limits of the "...
8
votes
2
answers
833
views
Is it illegal for Russia to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy?
There are some actions in war that are designated as war crimes, such as targeting civilians, torture, and systematic sexual violence or enslavement. Some of these actions hinge on the definition of &...
6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What would happen if Russia is convicted of war crimes?
Today President Zelensky has accused Russia of war crimes, and
the International Criminal Court (ICC) - which examines war crimes - is looking to open an investigation.
What would happen if ...
- 315
-1
votes
1
answer
305
views
If Russia drops a nuclear bomb, is it realistically possible to prevent neutralize it without getting serious damage? [closed]
By "serious damage" I mean any kind of severe environmental damage and/or damage to the people health/life. I understand that there's a tiny probability for that to happen, but just in case, ...
- 590
1
vote
1
answer
165
views
Why is the scale of ethnic conflicts so different in India vs African countries. Does it have to do with democratic institutions?
India and countries of Africa are equally diverse. However almost every African country has been plagued with genocidal level ethnic conflicts and disruptive civil wars. Central African Republic for ...
- 1,513
3
votes
1
answer
309
views
Is it permissible under international law to militarily attack a country/region if it's conducting a total blockade, including of foodstuff?
Tigray (TDF) regional authorities say they are now attacking the neighboring Amara and Afar regions (which have different regional governments under Ethiopia's federal constitution) because Tigray ...
- 145k
-4
votes
1
answer
258
views
Why are the mistaken civilian deaths in the Afghanistan war by the US army considered by some to be war crimes? [closed]
Isn't a war crime deliberate with malicious intent?
Shouldn't it be considered instead as blunders and bad decisions?
Specifically, I watched the leaked video of the helicopter /drone gunner shooting ...
- 139
5
votes
3
answers
236
views
How binding are International Tribunal decisions on nations? Can the International Tribunal supercede the law of a nation or force it to abide?
I was reading the UN Security Council's Resolution 827, formally establishing the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and came across the following clause,
"Decides that ...
- 4,401
19
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Can war crimes ever be justified as self-defense?
This question is not related to any ongoing event, but, rather, is a hypothetical scenario.
Suppose country X invades country Y. While country X possess much advantage in power and dominance over ...
- 331
3
votes
2
answers
244
views
International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh)?
Wikipedia says that:
The International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh) (ICT of Bangladesh) is a domestic war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh set up in 2009 to investigate and prosecute suspects for the ...
-6
votes
1
answer
140
views
Is there any situation where a person who admitted to breaking the law in the interest of the United States can not be convicted legally? [closed]
For example when the bombs were dropped on Japan which killed innocent civilians, but the people in the military responsible for it was not punished seemingly because ending the war was believed to be ...
- 2,026
38
votes
7
answers
16k
views
Has a Nobel Peace laureate ever been accused of war crimes?
Nobel Prizes aren't without controversy, and I was wondering if a Nobel Peace laureate has ever been accused of war crimes.
For the purpose of this question, I will accept accusations of war crimes ...
JJJ♦
- 38.9k
-5
votes
4
answers
394
views
In the non-Muslim world what are the origins of historical bias against the Ottoman Empire?
Some narratives of the recent terror attack in Christchurch imply that even though conflicts, battles, and invasions among various warring empires ravaged Europe throughout its history, somehow the ...
user25524
4
votes
1
answer
782
views
Have arms manufacturers and dealers ever been accused of or convicted of a war crime in the U.S. or by and at an international tribunal?
Before asking this question read What characterizes an act of war as "war crime?" and Does international regulation forbid a country to kill children in a conflict if the other part uses ...
6
votes
2
answers
893
views
Which USA Politicians want to shut down the CIA?
Congressman Ron Paul wanted to shut down the CIA for several reasons.
This intelligence agency has performed torture and terrorist-like actions all over the world since its creation.
Are there any ...
user20963
3
votes
0
answers
329
views
Has any Iranian leader accused the USA or Israel of orchestrating the 9/11 attacks after 2017?
In 2010 the sixth President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad offered 3 points explaining who was responsible for the 9/11 attacks at the United Nations.
Video Here
In point number 2 he suggests that ...
user20963
15
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Has any relevant American politician ever publicly admitted that the Gulf of Tonkin incident was a lie?
During an interview (video here) celebrity and former Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura said that "they" were admitting that the Gulf of Tonkin incident was a lie.
There are somewhat credible ...
user20963
1
vote
1
answer
303
views
Could Nayirah be prosecuted by the USA government?
Nayirah gave false testimony used by the President of the United States George H. W. Bush to justify the first Gulf War.
She lied to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus at the age of 15 making ...
user20963
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Why do nations & international bodies not intervene using military force to stop genocides in nations where they don't have a geopolitical interest?
I can find several examples where no nation or international body made an intervention to stop ethnic cleansing or genocide , because of lack of geopolitical and resource based interest , such as -
...
user17709
9
votes
2
answers
773
views
Would killing ISIS journalists be considered a war crime? If so, could ISIS use the ICC?
If ISIS had journalists on the ground in the Battle of Mosul (2016-17) that recently concluded, and they were clearly journalists, and clearly weren't combatants; would their Iraqi enemy be allowed to ...
- 3,493
5
votes
3
answers
872
views
What legal accountability was available for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
What legal accountability, if any, was available regarding the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki around that time?
Who could request an investigation into the incident? Could people who weren'...
- 13.4k
4
votes
1
answer
403
views
Authenticity of publications of Human Rights Watch
Are reports of Human Rights Watch reviewed by external authorities before they are published? Who verifies the veracity of the information present in their reports? Are evidences and citations ...
- 1,069