Ethics A Global Perspective homework

Topic: Chapter 8 (“Global Conflict”) divides “just war” theory into jus ad bello—that is, law of going to war— and jus in bello—law in the conduct of war (See p. 175). For this assignment, I want to concentrate on the second, in particular on when it is justified to open fire on a suspected enemy combatant (sometimes called “rules of engagement,” or ROE).

On July 12^th, 2007, US soldiers in Apache helicopters were over New Baghdad City, Iraq, conducting a “sweep,” to look out for hostile enemy forces in the neighborhood, in advance of US ground troops that were heading in the same direction. During the operation, a number of men were seen on the streets, and soldiers in the helicopter fired their weapons, having suspected the men were hostile. To get a more detailed picture of what happened, you’ll need to watch the video a few times (see below).

Your response:

1) View the footage in the youtube link (here or below).

2) Write a brief response of about 1-1 ½ pages on whether the US forces were justified in opening fire on the Iraqi men below them.

3) Your response should evaluate their actions according to the three principles for the conduct of war described in your textbook: discrimination, proportionality, and military necessity (See pp. 182-184 in your textbook). As you make your evaluation, you will need to define and apply these concepts clearly and accurately. I recommend reviewing the textbook a few times before you start.

The video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0