This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
In fact, Libya's top Vatican representative, Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, told Agenzia Fides, the Vatican news service:
"The so-called humanitarian air raids have taken the lives of dozens of civilians in various areas of Tripoli" alone. "Of particular concern, in the district of Buslim, a building collapsed because of the bombing killing 40 people. Yesterday I reported that the bombing had affected some hospitals, albeit directly. I can now confirm that one of these hospitals is in Misda," about 100 miles south of Tripoli.
In other interviews, Martelli cited numerous civilian deaths and injuries, "confirmed to me by people who have lost loved ones" from bombings. Civilian areas are hugely impacted, often willfully, other times because bombs and missiles can't distinguish between military and non-combatant targets.
Moreover, US rules of engagement (ROE) authorize war crimes. In Iraq, orders were to kill all military age males. In Afghanistan, drone and ground attacks kill civilians daily, often willfully, bogusly claiming insurgent kills. War is hell, especially on civilians.
When nations wage them, especially America, liberation, humanitarian intervention, and protecting civilian lives aren't part of strategic planning. Quite the opposite, in fact. Civilians and non-military targets are willfully attacked, taking a shocking, little reported toll, focusing largely on vilifying adversaries as justification for imperial, aggressive wars.
Yet doing it violates international and US law, including US Army Field Manual (FM) 27-10 standards, incorporating the Nuremberg Principles, Judgment and Charter, as well as The Law of Land Warfare (1956):
-- FM's paragraph 498 states that any person, military or civilian, who commits a crime under international law is responsible for it and may be punished;
-- paragraph 499 defines a war crime;
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
3
3
3
