Stephen Nathanson argues that we cannot have morally credible views about terrorism if we neglect broader issues about the ethics of war. Challenging the realist view that morality does not apply to war, he provides an analysis of what makes terrorism morally wrong and a rule-ut…
By exploring several historical cases (some as recent as the 1991 Persian Gulf War), the author examines why democratic and authoritarian governments alike will sometimes deliberately kill large numbers of civilians as a matter of military strategy.
"The unintended deaths of civilians in war are too often dismissed as unavoidable, inevitable, and accidental. And despite the best efforts of the U.S. to avoid them, civilian casualties in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan have been a regular feature of the United States' wars af…
The unintended deaths of civilians in war are too often dismissed as unavoidable, inevitable, and accidental. And despite the best efforts of the U.S. to avoid them, civilian casualties in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan have been a regular feature of the United States' wars aft…
"The Great War of 1914-1918 reshaped the political geography of the Middle East, destroying a centuries-old, multinational empire, while creating the nation-states of today's Middle East. The political aftermath of the war has proven as heavily contested as the military battles …
Most cultural and legal codes agree that the intentional killing of civilians, whether in peacetime or war, is prohibited. This is the norm of civilian immunity, widely considered to be a fundamental moral and legal principle. Yet despite this fact, the deliberate killing of lar…
Most cultural and legal codes agree that the intentional killing of civilians, whether in peacetime or war, is prohibited. This is the norm of civilian immunity, widely considered to be a fundamental moral and legal principle. Yet despite this fact, the deliberate killing of lar…
"Since the complex emergencies of the 1990s, humanitarian agencies have placed increasing emphasis on the protection of civilians during armed conflict. In spite of this, there is a consensus among humanitarians that outcomes are falling short of intentions, and that the increas…
A popular myth emerged in the late 1990s: in 1900, wars killed one civilian for every eight soldiers, while contemporary wars were killing eight civilians for every one soldier. The neat reversal of numbers was memorable, and academic publications and UN documents regularly cite…
"The Human Terrain System (HTS) was catapulted into existence in 2006 by the US military's urgent need for knowledge of the human dimension of the battlespace in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its centerpiece was embedded groups of miexed military and civilian personnel, known as Human T…
"This book shows how amoral communities - places where wartime violence against civilians is both tolerated and justified by the respective authorities - are created when the complementary processes of the exclusion of moderates and the production of borders connect ethnicity or…
This unique new work of reference traces the origins of the modern laws of warfare from the earliest times to the present day. Relying on written records from as far back as 2400 BCE, and using sources ranging from the Bible to Security Council Resolutions, the author pieces tog…
Although military power is only one component of the portfolio of instruments that can be brought to bear in the fight against terrorist groups, military capabilities play unique and crucial roles in the overall strategy. These capabilities will call for a mix of forces somewhat…
Rebel groups are often portrayed as predators, their leaders little more than warlords. In conflicts large and small, however, insurgents frequently take and hold territory, establishing sophisticated systems of governance that deliver extensive public services to civilians unde…
"In this book Beatrice Pouligny argues that much of what is being rebuilt in societies emerging from war - or in some cases what in continuing to be destroyed - often lies in the 'ordinary' daily lives of both local populations and the staff of UN missions. these on-the-ground r…
Text of January 11, 1994 Cable Part I: The Movement Towards Genocide 1. Rwandese Refugees and Immigrants in Uganda, Ogenga Otunnu 2. An Historical Analysis of the Invasion by the Rwanda Patriotic Army 3. The Role of Zaire in the Rwandese Conflict, Shally B. Gachuruzi 4. The…
Americans are greatly concerned about the number of our troops killed in battle--100,000 dead in World War I; 300,000 in World War II; 33,000 in the Korean War; 58,000 in Vietnam; 4,500 in Iraq; over 1,000 in Afghanistan--and rightly so. But why are we so indifferent, often obli…
