Civilian or Combatant?: A Challenge for the 21st Century (Terrorism and Global Justice Series)

In Civilian or Combatant?: A Challenge for the 21st Century, Anic???e Van Engeland describes how the practice and evolution of warfare have turned international humanitarian law into an enigmatic law that is complex to understand, interpret, and enforce. Van Engeland identifies the challenges that advocates of international humanitarian law face, which range from genocide, asymmetrical warfare, and terrorism to rape as a weapon. The events of 9/11 and the aftermath have put this branch of international law, in particular, the distinction between civilians and combatants, to the test. Van Engeland describes how some analysts have both questioned whether international law can adapt to these issues and challenged international humanitarian law on the basis that it cannot meet today's warfare realities. Van Engeland responds to these critics, reminding readers that international humanitarian law was not drafted to rule on war, but rather to protect victims of war, in particular civilians. Consequently, Van Engeland demonstrates that this branch of international law is in constant evolution. Through a thorough and illustrated analysis, Van Engeland explains how civilians and combatants are still distinguishable, as well as how international humanitarian has been stretched to meet these challenges. In Civilian or Combatant?: A Challenge for the 21st Century, Anicée Van Engeland describes how the practice and evolution of warfare have turned international humanitarian law into an enigmatic law that is complex to understand, interpret, and enforce. Van Engeland identifies the challenges that advocates of international humanitarian law face, which range from genocide, asymmetrical warfare, and terrorism to rape as a weapon. The events of 9/11 and the aftermath have put this branch of international law, in particular, the distinction between civilians and combatants, to the test. Van Engeland describes how some analysts have both questioned whether international law can adapt to these issues and challenged international humanitarian law on the basis that it cannot meet today's warfare realities. Van Engeland responds to these critics, reminding readers that international humanitarian law was not drafted to rule on war, but rather to protect victims of war, in particular civilians. Consequently, Van Engeland demonstrates that this branch of international law is in constant evolution. Through a thorough and illustrated analysis, Van Engeland explains how civilians and combatants are still distinguishable, as well as how international humanitarian has been stretched to meet these challenges. In this book, the author examines the capacity of international humanitarian law to respond to major international challenges. She describes how the evolution of warfare has turned international humanitarian law into an enigmatic and complex area of law that can be difficult to understand, interpret, and enforce. International humanitarian law, she explains, must confront challenges from genocide to asymmetrical warfare and rape. Furthermore, the events of 9/11 and its aftermath have put international humanitarian law, in particular, the disctinction between civilians and combatants, to the test This title describes how the practice and evolution of warfare have turned international humanitarian law into an enigmatic law that is complex to understand, interpret, and enforce. It identifies the challenges that advocates of international humanitarian law face, which range from genocide, asymmetrical warfare, and terrorism to rape as a weapon. The author demonstrates that this branch of international law is in constant evolution The distinction between combatants and civilians, a cornerstone of international humanitarian law The distinction between civilians and combatants Protection afforded to civilians and rights of combatants The shift between categories Concrete challenges : the evolution of war-asymetric conflicts, terrorism and weapon technology.