Targeted Killings and International Law: With Special Regard to Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (Beiträge zum ausländischen öffentlichen Recht und Völkerrecht Book 230)

Existing international law is capable to govern the “war on terror” also in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. The standards generally applicable to targeted killings are those of human rights law. Force may be used in order to address immediate threats, preventive killings are permitted under strict preconditions but targeted killings are prohibited. In the context of armed conflicts, these standards are complemented by international humanitarian law as __lex specialis__. Civilians may only be targeted while directly taking part in hostilities and posing a threat to the adversary. Also in Israel and the Occupied Territory, these standards apply. Contrary to the Israeli Supreme Court’s view, international humanitarian law is not complemented by human rights law, but human rights law is – to some degree – complemented by international humanitarian law. According to these standards, many killings which would be legal according to the Israeli Supreme Court violate international law. Cover......Page 1 Beiträge zum ausländischen öffentlichen Recht und Völkerrecht 230......Page 3 Targeted Killings and International Law......Page 4 ISBN 9783642248573......Page 5 Acknowledgements......Page 6 Summary of Contents......Page 8 Table of Contents......Page 10 A. The Recent Situation in Israel......Page 20 B. The Further International Context......Page 25 C. Defining “Targeted Killings”......Page 27 I. Different Terms Frequently Used......Page 28 II. Aspects of Intention......Page 33 III. “Assassination”......Page 38 D. Moral Legitimacy and Effectiveness of Targeted Killings......Page 41 E. The State of Research: Different Approaches......Page 47 I. The Topic’s Perception in Legal Writing......Page 48 II. Different Approaches......Page 51 F. Terminology......Page 56 II. Terrorism......Page 57 Part One – Human Rights......Page 60 A. Human Rights Conventions and the Right to Life......Page 61 I. The Scope of Protection of Human Rights......Page 65 II. The Special Status of the Right to Life......Page 66 B. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights......Page 67 I. The Scope of Protection of Article 6......Page 70 II. Exceptions: Non-Arbitrary Deprivations of Life......Page 93 2. Deprivation of Life in Self-Defence or in Defence of Another Person......Page 97 3. Deprivation of Life in Order to Effect an Arrest or Prevent the Escape of a Person Detained......Page 113 4. Deprivation of Life for the Purpose of Quelling a Riot......Page 119 5. Absolute Limits and Non-Derogability of Article 6......Page 122 6. Deprivation of Life in the Course of an Armed Conflict......Page 125 III. Conclusion: Killings Under the International Covenant......Page 129 C. The American Convention on Human Rights......Page 130 I. Article 4 American Convention on Human Rights’ Scope of Protection......Page 131 1. The Defensive Function (status negativus)......Page 133 2. The Beneficiary Function (status positivus)......Page 134 1. The Death Penalty......Page 139 2. Deprivation of Life in the Course of Administrative Police Action......Page 141 3. Non-Derogability of Article 4......Page 145 4. Deprivation of Life in the Course of Armed Conflict......Page 146 D. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights......Page 149 1. The Defensive Function (status negativus)......Page 152 2. The Beneficiary Function (status positivus)......Page 155 II. Exceptions – Non-Arbitrary Deprivation of Life......Page 159 III. No Explicit Non-Derogability of Article 4......Page 162 IV. Conclusion: Killings Under the African Charter......Page 164 E. The European Convention on Human Rights......Page 165 I. Article 2 European Convention on Human Rights’ Scope of Protection......Page 167 1. The Defensive Function (status negativus)......Page 168 II. Exceptions – Permissible Deprivation of Life......Page 181 1. The Death Penalty......Page 182 2. Exceptions Enumerated in Article 2 Para. 2......Page 183 3. Non-Derogability of Article 2 and Deprivation of Life in the Course of Armed Conflict......Page 198 III. Conclusion: Killings Under the European Convention......Page 200 G. General International Law Protection of the Right to Life......Page 202 I. Customary International Law......Page 203 II. General Principles of Law and Natural Law Foundations......Page 210 III. Content and Exceptions of the Right to Life in General International Law......Page 211 IV. The Right to Life as jus cogens......Page 214 H. Conclusion: The Human Right to Life......Page 217 Part Two – International Humanitarian Law......Page 222 I. The Hague Law......Page 224 II. The Geneva Law......Page 226 1. The 1949 Geneva Conventions......Page 227 2. The 1977 Additional Protocols......Page 230 III. Other International Humanitarian Instruments......Page 232 IV. Customary International Humanitarian Law......Page 233 B. The Basic Principles Underlying International Humanitarian Law......Page 234 I. Military Necessity......Page 235 IV. Distinction ratione personae......Page 236 C. Combatants......Page 238 I. Combatant Status in International Armed Conflicts......Page 240 1. Members of the Armed Forces......Page 241 2. Members of Militias and Volunteer Corps......Page 246 3. “Levée en masse”......Page 252 II. Fighters in Non-International Armed Conflicts......Page 253 1. Defining Criteria......Page 255 2. Problems Concerning Distinction......Page 257 3. Conclusion......Page 261 1. Prohibition of Perfidy......Page 262 2. Prohibition to kill Persons hors de combat......Page 276 4. Further Limits that Apply to Any Attack......Page 279 IV. Conclusion: Targeted Killings of Combatants......Page 281 I. Civilian Status......Page 282 1. Individually Targeted Civilians......Page 284 2. Protection of Civilians not Specifically Targeted......Page 323 3. Prohibition to Direct Reprisals Against the Civil Population......Page 341 E. Is there a Third Category such as “Unlawful Combatants”?......Page 343 I. Terminology and Its Historical Basis......Page 345 II. New Notions......Page 347 1. “Unlawful Combatants” in International Armed Conflicts......Page 350 IV. Conclusion: No such Third Status Exists......Page 359 V. Consequence: No Special Status of “Terrorists” Under International Humanitarian Law......Page 361 F. Conclusion: Targeted Killings and International Humanitarian Law......Page 366 Part Three – No Additional Justifications or Excuses......Page 370 A. Concepts Generally Capable of Precluding Wrongfulness......Page 373 B. Limits to Circumstances Precluding Wrongfulness......Page 375 I. Peremptory Norms of General International Law (Jus Cogens)......Page 376 II. Human Rights......Page 379 III. International Humanitarian Law......Page 380 C. Conclusion: No Additional Justifications or Excuses......Page 383 Part Four – The Applicability of the Relevant International Law......Page 386 A. The Territorial and Extraterritorial Applicability of Human Rights Provisions......Page 388 I. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights......Page 390 II. The American Convention on Human Rights......Page 397 III. The European Convention on Human Rights......Page 400 1. Effective Control Over Territory......Page 401 2. “De facto Control” Over Persons ......Page 410 IV. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights......Page 414 V. Customary International Law......Page 417 VI. Conclusion......Page 418 I. Human Rights and Public Emergencies......Page 421 II. International Humanitarian Law and Public Emergency......Page 426 C. The Law Applicable in Non-International Armed Conflicts......Page 427 I. Internal Disturbances......Page 429 II. Non-International Armed Conflicts......Page 430 1. Human Rights in Non-International Armed Conflicts......Page 431 2. International Humanitarian Law in Non-International Armed Conflicts ......Page 432 3. The Relationship of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in Non-International Armed Conflicts......Page 440 4. Conclusion......Page 443 III. The Treatment of Certain Non-International Armed Conflicts as International Armed Conflicts......Page 444 D. The Law Applicable in International Armed Conflicts......Page 450 I. The Intensity Necessary to Fulfil the Preconditions of an Armed Conflict......Page 453 II. The International Character of an Armed Conflict......Page 454 1. Horizontally Mixed Armed Conflicts......Page 455 2. Vertically Mixed Armed Conflicts......Page 456 3. Several Conflicts or One Situation that Must Be Regarded as a Whole?......Page 457 III. Conclusion......Page 459 E. Military Occupation......Page 460 I. “Calm” Occupations......Page 461 II. Special Exception to the Right to Life in Situations of “Calm” Occupation?......Page 464 III. Resumption or Outbreak of Hostilities in a Territory Under Occupation......Page 466 IV. Conclusion......Page 471 F. International Humanitarian Law and the “War on Terror”......Page 472 I. Is the “War on Terror” an International Armed Conflict?......Page 475 1. Level of Violence......Page 476 2. Parties to a Possible International Armed Conflict......Page 479 3. Conclusion......Page 494 1. Level of Violence......Page 496 2. Non-International Character......Page 499 3. Kretzmer’s “Mixed Model”......Page 500 4. Critique Kretzmer bases his approach on the assumption that......Page 502 III. Conclusion......Page 504 Part Five – Consequences of the Aforementioned for the Situation in Israel......Page 510 I. The Applicability of Human Rights Law......Page 513 1. Historical Background......Page 515 2. The Legal Status of the Occupied Palestinian Territories......Page 518 3. The Legal Nature of the Conflict......Page 530 III. Conclusion: The Law Applicable to the Situation in the Occupied Territories......Page 537 I. Human Rights Standards......Page 538 2. Preventive Killings Are Possible within Narrow Limitations......Page 539 1. The Israeli Supreme Court’s Assessment: The Law of Armed Conflict......Page 542 2. “Terrorists” Are neither Combatants, nor “Unlawful Combatants” but Civilians......Page 543 3. Direct Participation by Civilians in Hostilities......Page 545 III. The Israeli Supreme Court’s Further Preconditions for Targeted Killings......Page 548 C. Conclusion: The Situation in Israel......Page 550 Conclusion: Targeted Killings and International Law......Page 554 A. Generally, Human Rights Law Applies to Targeted Killings......Page 555 B. These Standards Are in Some Situations Amended by International Humanitarian Law......Page 557 C. No Justifications for Targeted Killings Exist Outside the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Systems......Page 558 D. The Most Prominent Cases Do Not Meet these Standards......Page 559 A. Books, Treatises and Articles......Page 562 I. International Tribunals and Human Rights Bodies......Page 625 III. National Courts......Page 645 C. International Treaties and Conventions (by Date)......Page 649 D. Other International Sources......Page 657 E. National Sources......Page 664 F. Press......Page 666 Index......Page 670 "Existing international law is capable to govern the 'war on terror' also in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. The standards generally applicable to targeted killings are those of human rights law. Force may be used in order to address immediate threats, preventive killings are permitted under strict preconditions but targeted killings are prohibited. In the context of armed conflicts, these standards are complemented by international humanitarian law as lex specialis. Civilians may only be targeted while directly taking part in hostilities and posing a threat to the adversary. Also in Israel and the Occupied Territory, these standards apply. Contrary to the Israeli Supreme Court's view, international humanitarian law is not complemented by human rights law, but human rights law is--to some degree--complemented by international humanitarian law. According to these standards, many killings which would be legal according to the Israeli Supreme Court violate international law"--Provided by publisher Annotation Existing international law is capable to govern the war on terror also in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. The standards generally applicable to targeted killings are those of human rights law. Force may be used in order to address immediate threats, preventive killings are permitted under strict preconditions but targeted killings are prohibited. In the context of armed conflicts, these standards are complemented by international humanitarian law as lex specialis. Civilians may only be targeted while directly taking part in hostilities and posing a threat to the adversary. Also in Israel and the Occupied Territory, these standards apply. Contrary to the Israeli Supreme Courts view, international humanitarian law is not complemented by human rights law, but human rights law is to some degree complemented by international humanitarian law. According to these standards, many killings which would be legal according to the Israeli Supreme Court violate international law Introduction -- 1. Human Rights -- 2. International Humanitarian Law -- 3. No Additional Justifications Or Excuses -- 4. The Applicability Of The Relevant International Law -- 5. Consequences Of The Aforementioned For The Situation In Israel -- Conclusion: Targeted Killings And International Law. By Roland Otto. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 543-650) And Index.