The Law of Armed Conflict with Regard to the Protection of Civilians

Abstract

U.S. Navy Regulation state that a commander shall observe and require his command to observe the principles of international law. This paper reviews the development and current status of the law of armed conflict (LOAC) with regard to the protection of civilians. It also gives specific attention to LOAC as it relates to the development of rules of engagement and the commander's position in the chain of command. Although the subject is legal, the intend is to avoid legalism. The author does not presume to possess a lawyer's expertise. An attempt is made to demonstrate that LOAC is not merely a conglomeration of legal niceties and utopian illusions, having as their primary effect the obstruction of the operational commander. Rather, LOAC is an evolutionary military, moral, and legal attempt to ensure that in the pursuit of victory, commanders do not betray their duty.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 13, 1991
Accession Number
ADA236528

Entities

People

  • Michael J. Shewchuk

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Civilian Population
  • Department Of Defense
  • Geneva Conventions
  • Governments
  • Handbooks
  • Humanities
  • International Law
  • Land Warfare
  • Law
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • Naval Operations
  • Prisoners Of War
  • Second World War
  • Security
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Systems Analysis and Design