Military Interventions, War Crimes, and Protecting Civilians

War crimes have devastating effects on victims and perpetrators and endanger broader political and military goals. The protection of civilians, one of the most fundamental norms in the laws of war, appears to have weakened despite almost universal international agreement. Using insights from organizational theory, this book seeks to understand the process between military socialization and unit participation in war crimes. How do militaries train their soldiers in the laws of war? How do they enforce compliance with these laws? Drawing on evidence from the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency, and the Canadian peacekeeping mission in Somalia, the author discovers that military efforts to train soldiers about the laws of war are poor and leadership often sent mixed signals about the importance of compliance. However, units that developed subcultures that embraced these laws and had strong leadership were more likely to comply than those with weak discipline or countercultural norms.

Speaks directly to debates on how militaries achieve their goals, particularly in protecting civilians, fighting insurgent forces, and humanitarian intervention Analyzes the role of junior leaders to influence subculture development and/or restrain countercultural units Focuses on the motivations of perpetrators of war crimes

Autorentext
Christi Siver is Associate Professor in the Political Science Department at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, USA.

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. Exploring and Explaining Participation in War Crimes.- 3. The Korean War and the Challenge of Civilian Refugees.- 4. Enemies or Friendlies? British Military Behavior Toward Civilians during the Malayan Emergency.- 5. The Dark Side of Peacekeeping: The Canadian Airborne Regiment in Somalia.- 6. Conclusion.