Module 14

Question 1

What is defined as a serious violation of the laws of war?

Answer 1

A war crime

War crimes result in individual responsibility for those violations.

Question 2

What term describes the laws governing the conduct of war?

Answer 2

jus in bello

This contrasts with jus ad bellum, which concerns the justification for going to war.

Question 3

What is the fundamental purpose of military forces during a war?

Answer 3

To win wars

Ethical behavior is often secondary to military necessity.

Question 4

List the general protections and provisions encompassed within a discussion of war crimes.

Answer 4

• Actions must distinguish between combatants and noncombatants
• Noncombatants must be protected from harm
• Violence must be proportionate to ends to be achieved
• Undue human suffering should be avoided
• Individual responsibility should be accepted for actions taken

Question 5

Who was responsible for writing the Lieber Code?

Answer 5

Francis Lieber

He was a former soldier and professor who aimed to codify the rules of war.

Question 6

What did the Lieber Code forbid?

Answer 6

• Use of poisons
• Use of torture to extract confessions
• Killing of POWs
• Treatment of emancipated slaves as criminals

Question 7

What is a major challenge in defining war crimes?

Answer 7

The laws of war are often not codified

This leads to ambiguity in what constitutes a serious violation.

Question 8

What are counter-force targets?

Answer 8

Targets with a low threat of danger to civilians

Examples include military barracks and troop formations.

Question 9

What are counter-value targets?

Answer 9

Targets with a high potential for danger to civilians

Examples include cities and civilian infrastructure.

Question 10

True or False: Attacking a military camp when civilians are present is always considered a war crime.

Answer 10

False

It can be acceptable under certain circumstances if the camp is a legitimate military target.

Question 11

What was the impact of the United States’ bombing of Iraq during Desert Storm?

Answer 11

Destruction of civilian infrastructure

Resulted in over 100,000 civilian deaths and increased infant mortality rates.

Question 12

List some internationally accepted war crimes that evolved after World War 2.

Answer 12

• Destruction of articles of cultural heritage
• Obliteration bombing
• Use of biological weapons
• Use of chemical weapons
• Destruction of crops

Question 13

What issue arose with Japan’s treatment of POWs during World War 2?

Answer 13

Japan believed POWs were dishonored and not deserving of humane treatment

They argued they were not bound by the Geneva and Hague Conventions.

Question 14

What is obliteration bombing?

Answer 14

Bombing that does not distinguish between military and civilian targets

It aims to destroy everything in its path, affecting civilians severely.

Question 15

What notable event involved obliteration bombing during World War 2?

Answer 15

The firebombing of Dresden

It was a reprisal for earlier bombings in England.

Question 16

What cultural sites were targeted in conflicts post-World War 2?

Answer 16

• Churches
• Synagogues
• Mosques
• Museums

Question 17

Fill in the blank: The Lieber Code required fair treatment of _______.

Answer 17

POWs

Question 18

What was the outcome for Ahmad Al-Madi regarding the destruction of cultural heritage?

Answer 18

Charged by the ICC and sentenced to 9 years in jail

He was involved in the destruction of UNESCO protected sites in Timbuktu.

Question 19

True or False: Most countries have ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Answer 19

False

Only 21 states have ratified it, making it not yet international law.

Question 20

What is the primary disadvantage civilians face during bombing campaigns?

Answer 20

Civilians often lack the option to escape and suffer from the loss of necessities of life

The military’s superior force gives them an advantage over civilians in such situations.

Question 21

What was the firebombing of Dresden and its significance?

Answer 21

A notable obliteration bombing in World War 2, resulting in 35,000 to 120,000 civilian deaths

Conducted in February 1945 by British and American planes as a reprisal for earlier bombings.

Question 22

What were the main targets of the bombing in Dresden?

Answer 22

Refugees, civilian buildings, and some military supply factories

Dresden was known for its porcelain and had become a refuge for those fleeing eastern Germany.

Question 23

How many tons of bombs were dropped on Dresden in February 1945?

Answer 23

More than 2,300 tons of conventional bombs and over 1,400 tons of incendiaries

Question 24

What were the results of the firebombing of Tokyo?

Answer 24

Similar to Dresden, resulting in over 100,000 civilian deaths in one night

Question 25

What was the purpose of the obliteration bombings on Warsaw and Rotterdam?

Answer 25

To force Poland and the Netherlands to surrender to Germany

Question 26

What are the estimated civilian deaths from the bombings of Hiroshima?

Answer 26

Between 90,000 and 166,000 civilians within four months of the blast

Question 27

What was the impact radius of the Hiroshima bomb regarding civilian casualties? | 1 km and 1-2.5 km

Answer 27

86% killed within 1 kilometer of the blast, 27% killed between 1 and 2.5 kilometers ## Footnote The blast caused severe destruction and many injuries due to radiation.

Question 28

What was the military significance of Nagasaki compared to Hiroshima?

Answer 28

Nagasaki was more important militarily with industries and shipyards ## Footnote The bombing resulted in fewer immediate military deaths due to geographical advantages.

Question 29

What is the 'scorched earth' policy in warfare?

Answer 29

Destroying food stores and resources to demoralize civilians and sustain military efforts

Question 30

What is a notable historical example of a scorched earth policy?

Answer 30

Sherman’s March to the Sea during the American Civil War

Question 31

What is the consequence of destroying crops and livestock in warfare?

Answer 31

It is considered a war crime due to its severe impact on civilians

Question 32

What was the purpose of using Agent Orange in Vietnam?

Answer 32

To reduce ground cover and destroy crops, particularly rice

Question 33

What are biological weapons and their historical context?

Answer 33

Weapons using pathogens that have been used since ancient times, often during sieges

Question 34

What are some examples of biological agents used in warfare?

Answer 34

* Anthrax * Botulism * Plague

Question 35

Why are biological weapons particularly dangerous to civilians?

Answer 35

They cannot be targeted only to military personnel and can spread rapidly

Question 36

What is the status of global biological weapons stockpiles?

Answer 36

Most major states possess biological weapons, including the US and Russia

Question 37

What are chemical weapons and when were they first widely used?

Answer 37

Weapons using toxic chemicals, first widely used in World War 1

Question 38

What was the effect of chemical weapons on soldiers during World War 1?

Answer 38

1.3 million soldiers injured and 90,000 to 100,000 killed

Question 39

What is the impact of Agent Orange on the Vietnamese population?

Answer 39

Caused cancer, birth defects, and long-term health issues due to dioxin exposure

Question 40

What is the current international stance on nuclear weapons?

Answer 40

No consensus to ban them, despite treaties aimed at reducing proliferation

Question 41

What is the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons?

Answer 41

A treaty proposed in 2017 to prevent acquisition and promote destruction of nuclear weapons

Question 42

What is the double effect principle in justifying military actions?

Answer 42

An action causing harm can be permissible if the intent is to achieve a legitimate military target

Question 43

What are the four conditions that must be met for the double effect principle to be valid?

Answer 43

* The action must be morally good or neutral * The bad effect must not be the means to achieve the good * The intention must be to achieve the good effect * The good effect must be proportionately important to the bad effect

Question 44

What is a significant concern with drone warfare?

Answer 44

Targets are often identified from a distance, leading to potential civilian casualties

Question 45

What is a preferred weapon used by the United States in Pakistan and Yemen?

Answer 45

Drones ## Footnote Drones are unmanned and can be managed from a distance, making them safer for military use.

Question 46

What is a significant problem with drone warfare?

Answer 46

Targets are often identified from a distance, leading to potential misidentification and collateral damage.

Question 47

What event occurred in December 2013 involving a drone attack in Yemen?

Answer 47

A drone attacked a wedding, killing 12 men and wounding 15 others, including the bride.

Question 48

What was the claim made by the United States and Yemen regarding the casualties from the drone attack?

Answer 48

They claimed all of the dead were militants.

Question 49

What did witnesses at the wedding claim regarding the drone attack?

Answer 49

They claimed that militants were not present and that the groom’s son was among the casualties.

Question 50

What did the Yemeni military do following the drone attack?

Answer 50

They apologized and paid money to the families of the deceased.

Question 51

What is one condition for the action of killing militants to be considered morally good?

Answer 51

The militants must be truly involved in terrorist activities.

Question 52

True or False: The bad effect of dead non-combatants must be the means to the end in drone warfare.

Answer 52

False

Question 53

What does the absence of information about mitigating damage imply in the context of drone strikes?

Answer 53

There may not have been sufficient mitigation efforts.

Question 54

What is a key challenge in evaluating the proportionality of non-combatant deaths in military actions?

Answer 54

Uncertainty about the identity of the dead and injured makes it hard to determine proportionality.

Question 55

What principle is difficult to apply to real military decisions, especially in drone warfare?

Answer 55

The double effect principle.

Question 56

What are some examples of actions that would still be considered war crimes despite the double effect principle?

Answer 56

* Using a non-combatant as a human shield * Killing Red Cross/Red Crescent workers * Bombing hospitals

Question 57

What significant document established rules for the conduct of war?

Answer 57

The Lieber Code.

Question 58

What types of topics have been addressed by international treaties on the rules of war?

Answer 58

* Treatment of POWs * Use of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons * Rights during wars

Question 59

What was the outcome of the 2019 signing of the Lieber Code?

Answer 59

Only 24 states had signed it, with no major powers or nuclear states among them.

Question 60

What were the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 focused on?

Answer 60

They focused on the treatment of POWs, civilians, and historic places.

Question 61

What does the 1st Geneva Convention (1949) provide for?

Answer 61

Protection of injured or sick military personnel.

Question 62

What does the 4th Geneva Convention (1949) ensure for civilians?

Answer 62

Fair and humane treatment, including rights to religion and family communication.

Question 63

What is the purpose of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)?

Answer 63

To limit the spread of nuclear weapons.

Question 64

Fill in the blank: The _______ prohibits torture and other acts of cruel treatment.

Answer 64

Convention Against Torture

Question 65

What is a significant challenge in preventing and punishing war crimes?

Answer 65

The lack of a world government and judicial system.

Question 66

What historical event marked the first acknowledged war crimes trials?

Answer 66

Trials after World War 1 in Leipzig, Germany.

Question 67

What were the main charges in the Leipzig trials?

Answer 67

* Failure to rescue victims from torpedoed ships * Treatment of Armenians during the Armenian genocide

Question 68

What is the significance of the Nuremberg and Tokyo War Crimes Tribunals?

Answer 68

They were major post-World War 2 trials for war crimes.

Question 69

What does the term 'Ad Hoc Tribunals' refer to?

Answer 69

War crimes tribunals created for specific conflicts.

Question 70

What does the Double Effect Principle state?

Answer 70

Military actions causing unjust effects can be justified if a good outcome occurs simultaneously.

Question 71

What was one of the reasons given for dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima?

Answer 71

To save the loss of American and Japanese troops.

Question 72

True or False: The bombing of Hiroshima primarily targeted military personnel.

Answer 72

False

Question 73

What was one moral justification for the bombing of Hiroshima?

Answer 73

To end the war quickly and prevent further loss of life.