Yoram Dinstein

A companion volume to the author's textbook War, Aggression and Self-Defence, this book focuses on issues arising in the course of hostilities between States, with an emphasis on the most recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The main themes considered by Yoram Dinstein are lawful and unlawful combatants, war crimes (including command responsibility and defenses), prohibited weapons, the distinction between combatants and civilians, legitimate military objectives, and the protection of the environment and cultural property. Numerous specific topics that have attracted much interest in recent hostilities are also addressed, such as human shields, feigned surrenders, collateral damage and proportionality, belligerent reprisals and weapons of mass destruction.

Table of Contents   Acknowledgments Table of cases Table of Treaties List of abbreviations ix x xii xvi   Introduction p. 1 1. The general framework I.   The sources       A.  Customary international law and treaty law       B.  The principal treaties II.   The semantics III.  Inter-State armed conflicts IV.  Military necessity and humanitarian considerations V.   Humanitarian law and human rights VI.  Dissemination p. 4 p. 5 p. 5 p. 9 p. 12 p. 14 p. 16 p. 20 p. 25 2. Lawful combatancy I.   Combatants and civilians II.  Lawful and unlawful combatants III. The entitlement to prisoner of war status under      customary international law IV. The legal position under Protocol I of 1977 V.   A case study: the war in Afghanistan VI.  Mercenaries VII. Armed merchant vessels p. 27 p. 27 p. 29 p. 33 p. 44 p. 47 p. 50 p. 52 3. Prohibited weapons I.   Introduction II.   The principle prohibiting unnecessary suffering III.  Explicit prohibitions or restrictions of certain weapons       A.  Conventional weapons            (a) Poison            (b) Certain projectiles            (c) Non-detectable fragments            (d) Booby-traps            (e) Landmines            (f) Naval mines            (g) Torpedoes            (h) Incendiaries            (i) Blinding laser weapons       B.  Weapons of mass destruction            (a) Chemical weapons            (b) Biological weapons IV.  The status of nuclear weapons V.   Development of new weapons p. 55 p. 55 p. 57 p. 61 p. 63 p. 63 p. 63 p. 64 p. 65 p. 66 p. 69 p. 71 p. 71 p. 72 p. 73 p. 73 p. 76 p. 77 p. 80 4. Legitimate military objectives I.   The principle of distinction and military objectives II.  The definition of military objectives by nature, location, purpose and use       A.  The nature of the objective       B.  The purpose of the objective       C.  The use of the objective       D.  The location of the objective       E.  Bridges       F.  Military objectives exempt from attack III.  General problems related to the scope of the objective IV. Defended and undefended localities in land warfare V.   Special problems related to sea warfare       A.  Areas of naval warfare       B.  Enemy warships       C.  Enemy merchant vessels       D.  Neutral merchant vessels       E.  Destruction of enermy merchant vessels after capture       F.  Blockade       G.  Exclusion zones       H.  Bombardment of coastal areas VI.  Special problems relating to air warfare       A.  Military aircraft       B.  Civilian aircraft       C.  Strategic and ‘target area’ bombing p. 82 p. 82 p. 87 p. 88 p. 89 p. 90 p. 91 p. 92 p. 93 p. 94 p. 99 p. 102 p. 102 p. 102 p. 102 p. 103 p. 104 p. 105 p. 106 p. 107 p. 108 p. 108 p. 109 p. 110 5. Protection of civilians and civilian objects from attack I.   Definitions II.   Direct attacks against civilians III.  Indiscriminate attacks IV.  The principle of proportionality V.   Legitimate collateral damage VI.  Precautions in attack VII.  Cessation of protection and ‘human shields“ VIII.  Starvation of civilians       A.  General       B.  Siege warfare       C.  Humanitarian assistance p. 113 p. 113 p. 115 p. 116 p. 119 p. 123 p. 125 p. 129 p. 131 p. 131 p. 133 p. 137 6. Measures of special protection I.   Persons entitled to special protection       A.  The different categories of beneficiaries       B.  Cessation of protection II.   Cultural property and places of worship       A.  Introduction       B.  The legal position until 1954            (a) General protection            (b) Regional protection       C.  The Cultural Property Convention of 1954       D.  Protocol I of 1977       E.  The war crimes provisions       F.  The 1999 Second Protocol to the Hague Convention III.  Medical units       A.  Medical units on land       B.  Hospital ships       C.  Medical aircraft       D.  The cessation of protection IV.  Works and installations containing dangerous forces p. 141 p. 141 p. 141 p. 149 p. 152 p. 152 p. 153 p. 153 p. 155 p. 157 p. 160 p. 163 p. 164 p. 166 p. 166 p. 168 p. 169 p. 171 p. 172 7. Protection of the environment I.   Introduction II.   The international legal texts       A.  The ENMOD Convention       B.  Protocol I of 1977       C.  Supplementary texts            (a) The Rome Statute            (b) Protocol III, annexed to the Weapons Convention            (c) The Chemical Weapons Convention III.  The dissimilarities between the ENMOD Convention and Protocol I IV.  A case study: setting fire to oil wells in the Gulf War V.   Conclusion p. 176 p. 176 p. 177 p. 177 p. 181 p. 185 p. 185 p. 186 p. 187 p. 189 p. 191 p. 196 8. Other methods and means of warfare I.   Perfidy and ruses of war       A.  The Hague Regulations of 1899/1907       B.  Protocol I of 1977            (a) The relevant provisions            (b) Analysis: unlawful acts of perfidy            (c) Legitimate ruses in war       C.  Other texts relating to perfidy and ruses of war II.   Espionage       A.  The definition of espionage       B.  The penal prosecution of spies III.  Seizure and destruction of enemy property       A.  Pillage       B.  Booty of war       C.  Prize and contraband       D.  Other destruction and seizure of enemy property IV.  Belligerent reprisals       A.  The concept of belligerent reprisals       B.  Prohibition of specific belligerent reprisals       C.  The taking of hostages p. 198 p. 198 p. 198 p. 200 p. 200 p. 201 p. 206 p. 207 p. 208 p. 208 p. 210 p. 213 p. 214 p. 215 p. 215 p. 218 p. 220 p. 220 p. 222 p. 227 9. War crimes, command responsibility and defences I.   The definition of war crimes II.   The distinction between war criminals and unlawful combatants III.  Command Responsibility IV.  Admissible and inadmissible defences       A.  Admissible defences            (a) Mistake of fact            (b) Mistake of law            (c) Duress            (d) Insanity            (e) Intoxication            (f) Legitimate defence of oneself and others       B.  Inadmissible defence pleas            (a) Obedience to national law            (b) Obedience to superior orders            (c) Official position and immunities       C.  Mitigation of punishment p. 228 p. 228 p. 233 p. 237 p. 243 p. 244 p. 244 p. 244 p. 245 p. 248 p. 249 p. 249 p. 250 p. 250 p. 250 p. 252 p. 253   General conclusions p. 255   Index of persons Index of subjects p. 258 p. 263