Ordered Chaos: The Increasingly Complex Wartime Role of Lawyers in Targeting

Abstract

Legal advisors have long held important roles in the conduct of military affairs, especially in time of war. That role has never been more essential than today. While international rules imposing limits on war have always been complex, the context of modern war and our ability to observe, record, and second-guess its prosecution further complicate the decision-making process. The CNN effect/ represents one aspect of this change. Real time observation of the conduct of war raises the level of scrutiny on targeting and weapon decisions. U.S. commanders are blessed and burdened with sophisticated intelligence providing great battle space awareness, and advanced weapons systems, including precision guided munitions (hereinafter 'PGM'), offering unprecedented accuracy. One of many questions facing commanders having this technology is whether they are obligated to use them despite higher costs to minimize 'collateral' damage.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2000
Accession Number
ADA432925

Entities

People

  • Amy J. Hyatt
  • Dave Tretler
  • Richard Melanson

Organizations

  • National Defense University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Bombs
  • Civilian Population
  • Cluster Bombs
  • Human Rights
  • Information Operations
  • International Law
  • Law
  • Military Operations
  • National Security
  • Standards
  • Targeting
  • Unguided Bombs
  • Urban Areas
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Sensor Fusion and Tracking Systems.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Space