Mistreatment of civilians not party to a large-scale, violent conflict is not new. The perceived lack of empathy for civilians (historically and presently) points to ambiguities about who the enemy is, rules of engagement, as well as the ongoing...
The Central Intelligence Agency is involved in a targeted killing program which the United States Government employs in its war on global terrorism. This program identifies terrorists and those facilitating terrorist activities and initiates lethal...
The face of the battlefield has changed since the original Hague and Geneva Conventions were ratified in 1949. The change of the battlefield mandates changes in our laws and rules of engagement. Discussed here are the foundations for the Law of...
This ethical thought paper, will discuss what justifies a war and the rules and conventions that govern the conduct of war. I will briefly review the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and the conditions that justified the invasion of...
War crimes/atrocities are more prevalent in the modem era (1940-present) than in prior periods of history. War by its very nature is a murderous affair, and is often an extremely dirty and cold-blooded activity. After all, the goal of war is to...
Prisons and detention centers are recruiting grounds for radical Islamists. The National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism Campaign Plan does not sufficiently develop a strategy to counter the violent Islamic ideologies in order to...
This study examines the use of military force as part of a proactive campaign to counter international terrorism. The study includes an examination of the threat from international terrorism as it has grown from 1968 to the present day. Initiatives...
The 1999 National Security Strategy (NSS) defines significantly different roles and priorities for the U.S. military. One of the very obvious roles is the use of the military as intervention forces to secure national interests. As military and...
On 5 November 2002, an armed Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operated Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) launched a lethal missile strike, killing Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi, a high ranking al-Qaeda member and suspected architect of the USS...
In all conflicts there are war crimes and atrocities committed, however, there are fewer in modern times than conflicts of the past. Throughout the 20th century, war crimes and atrocities were committed by different countries at war. Historical and...
With several hundreds of thousands space debris "bullets" orbiting the Earth, the U.S. Government enters a high risk environment whenever a satellite is launched into orbit. Because of the United States' dependence on space assets, the threat of...
This monograph studies the law of occupation, historical case studies on occupation, and the current U.S. doctrine on occupation. An analysis formed from the current international law, Hague Convention Number IV Respecting the Laws and Customs of...
Contents include background, a brief look at history, the American fighting man and Korea, a code of conduct for the future, Korean summary, and the road ahead for America and the Armed Forces addenda. "We examined the publicly alleged divergent...
Computer network attack ushered in change for the profession of arms. Militaries achieve effects using computers, previously attained only through physical destruction. Computer network attack's problem is it operates outside the observable...
This thesis investigates the post-Cold War evolution of private military companies. Specifically this study will focus on the measure of international legitimacy that is afforded to private military companies that conduct active military assistance...
This monograph questions the utility of military deception (MILDEC) given its decidedly different dynamics inside counterinsurgency (COIN) operations. It examines relevant theoretical touchstones and doctrinal frameworks to determine whether the...
Even though the massacre of innocent civilians occurred during the Vietnam War, there were fewer war crimes and atrocities committed than in previous wars. Even though many atrocities were committed including the massacre of innocent civilians,...
Coyle, Ian; Fraley, Craig; Fulks, James; Norwood, Edward
Thesis: Ethical conduct during war is morally and ethically the right thing to do. Maltreatment of the enemy does not increase combat effectiveness. It enhances the motivation and rage of the enemy thereby causing adverse effects on our combat...
The United States Army currently employs small arms ammunition providing inferior lethality due to obsolete international proscriptions against more effective bullet design. Technological solutions to this problem already exist. The primary...
As of November 2006, the United States (US) military maintains custody of over 15,000 detainees at four theater interment facilities and one strategic internment facility. With such large populations, there are significant risks of creating radical...