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The Geneva Conventions Under Assault

The Geneva Conventions Under Assault

Sarah Perrigo | Jim Whitman

(2010)

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Book Details

Abstract

Outrages committed during violent conflict and as part of the 'war on terror' are not only an affront to human dignity, they also violate the Geneva Conventions.

Looking at high-profile cases of repeated and open abuse of the Conventions, the book reveals how attempts to undermine the Geneva Conventions as incompatible with the age of 'global terror' will create a less secure and more volatile world. From normalising torture in Guantanamo, to new technical and tactical developments that challenge the standing of the conventions, the contributors reveal how even individuals in the most powerful countries face the prospect of a horrifying vulnerability.
'Few international instruments are more necessary today than the Geneva Conventions. This valuable, timely and very accessible collection of essays explains their foundational values and, from a range of perspectives, their ability to outlast short term political imperatives'
Professor Philippe Sands QC, University College London, author of Lawless World and Torture Team

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Cover Cover
Contents vii
Preface ix
Abbreviations and Acronyms xv
1. The Geneva Conventions and the Normative Tenor of International Relations by Soniua Cardenas 1
2. The History and Status of the Geneva Conventions by Wade Mansell and Karen Openshaw 18
3. The Principle of Proportionality in the Law of Armed Conflict by Françoise Hampson 42
4. Civilian Protection – What’s Left of the Norm? Stuart Gordon 74
5. The Protection of Detainees in International Humanitarian Law by Keiichiro Okimoto 99
6. Non-Lethal Weapons: A Rose by any Other Name by Nick Lewer 136
7. From ‘Total War’ to ‘Total Operations’ – Contemporary Doctrine and Adherence to IHL by Björn Müller-Wille 155
8. The Paradox of Value Discourses by Helen Dexter 179
9. Freeing Force from Legal Constraint by Jim Whitman 201
10. Undermining International Humanitarian Law and the Politics of Liberal Democracies by Sarah Perrigo 222
About the Contributors 248
Index 250