Source: https://casebook.icrc.org/print/20716
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 22:40:42
Document Index: 496541399

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art. 2', 'Art. 42', 'Art. 2', 'Art. 27', 'Art. 43', 'Art. 56', 'Arts 27', 'Arts 48', 'Arts 27', 'Arts 48', 'Art. 57']

Home > Iraq, Use of Force by United States Forces in Occupied Iraq
[Source: Human Rights Watch, “Hearts and Minds: Post-war Civilian Deaths in Baghdad Caused by U.S. Forces”, 2003, footnotes omitted, online: http://www.hrw.org [1]]
Is Iraq an occupied territory within the meaning of IHL? (At least until 30 June 2004)? Even if the United States (according to it) acted in accordance with Security Council resolutions? Even if the United States acted in self-defence? Even after the adoption of Security Council resolution 1483 (2003) [See Iraq, Occupation and Peacebuilding [Part A.] [2]], if that resolution is interpreted as legitimizing the presence of Coalition forces in Iraq? (GC IV, Art. 2 [3]; P I, Preamble, para. 5 [4])
When did the IHL of military occupation begin to apply in Iraq? From the moment when the first American soldier set foot on Iraqi territory? From the moment when the first village was in fact under American control? As soon as major military operations were completed, which, according to the President of the United States, was on 1 May 2003? (HR, Art. 42; GC IV [5], Art. 2 [6])
In your response to question a., do you distinguish between the obligation to treat protected persons humanely (GC IV [5], Art. 27 [7]), the obligation to ensure public order and safety (HR, Art. 43) and the obligation to ensure hygiene and public health (GC IV [5], Art. 56 [8])? If so, how do you justify such distinctions?
Was the behaviour of American troops at the “al-Mansur” checkpoint and after the explosion of a bomb in Haifa Street in conformity with IHL? Do you apply the rules on the conduct of hostilities or those on military occupation to those actions? What measures should have been taken in order to avoid such occurrences? (GC IV, Arts 27 [9] and 32 [10]; P I, Arts 48 [11], 50(1) [12], 51(2) [13] and (3) [13], 57(2)(a)(i) [14] and (b) [14])
In which circumstances did the American troops have the right to shoot a person in July and August 2003 in Baghdad? Were such shootings governed by IHL or by international human rights law? (GC IV, Arts 27 [9] and 32 [10]; P I, Arts 48 [11], 50(1) [12], 51(2) [13] and (3) [13], 57(2)(a)(i) [14] and (b) [14])
Did the shooting of the Reuters cameraman on 17 August 2003 violate IHL? (P I, Art. 57(2)(a)(i) [14])
Source URL: https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/iraq-use-force-united-states-forces-occupied-iraq
[2] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/iraq-occupation-and-peacebuilding
[6] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&amp;documentId=C5031F972DD7E216C12563CD0051B998
[7] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&amp;documentId=FFCB180D4E99CB26C12563CD0051BBD9
[8] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&amp;documentId=AD2F7F5D8CF955AFC12563CD0051BE51
[9] https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&amp;documentId=FFCB180D4E99CB26C12563CD0051BBD9
[10] https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&amp;documentId=0146C998773B1496C12563CD0051BC2F
[13] https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&amp;documentId=4BEBD9920AE0AEAEC12563CD0051DC9E