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Human Rights Law

Collateral damage

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Off Target: Selection, Precaution, And Proportionality In The Dod Manual, Adil Ahmad Haque Jan 2016

Off Target: Selection, Precaution, And Proportionality In The Dod Manual, Adil Ahmad Haque

International Law Studies

The United States Department of Defense Law of War Manual misrepresents customary international law governing target selection, precautions in attack and proportionality. Contrary to the Manual’s assertions, attackers with a choice of targets for obtaining a similar military advantage must select the target that endangers the fewest civilians; often must avoid harming civilians even at some additional risk to themselves or to their mission; and must refrain from attack if the expected harm to civilians—including to civilians forced to serve as human shields—would be excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage.


Kill-Lists And Accountability, Gregory S. Mcneal Mar 2013

Kill-Lists And Accountability, Gregory S. Mcneal

Gregory S. McNeal

This article is a comprehensive examination of the U.S. practice of targeted killings. It is based in part on field research, interviews, and previously unexamined government documents. The article fills a gap in the literature, which to date lacks sustained scholarly analysis of the accountability mechanisms associated with the targeted killing process. The article makes two major contributions: 1) it provides the first qualitative empirical accounting of the targeted killing process, beginning with the creation of kill-lists extending through the execution of targeted strikes; 2) it provides a robust analytical framework for assessing the accountability mechanisms associated with those processes. …