This book was published on the eve of the fiftieth anniversary—in August 1999—of the Geneva Conventions, with the aim of encouraging public knowledge of the principles of conduct in war. It consists of three types of articles. The heart of the law, and of this book, are the grave breaches, or serious war crimes, delineated in the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the First Additional Protocol of 1977. The editors sought to find a clear example of each breach, irrespective of countries or adversaries and then asked working reporters who had been at the scene to provide a graphic case study of what they had seen. Leading scholars in the United States and abroad contributed shorter articles on technical topics, most labeled the law. There are also essay-length articles by journalists or scholars on major themes, labeled key terms. To provide a broader overview of contemporary conflict, the editors asked reporters and one historian to take a fresh and critical look at recent conflicts and examine them in the light of the crimes of war. These ten case studies offer insights into the dynamics of crimes in nine wars (Rwanda is addressed twice from different perspectives) and can be read as a book within a book. Complementing the case studies are three experts’ overviews of the applicable law: “Categories of War Crimes” by Steven Ratner, “Crimes against Humanity” by Cherif Bassiouni, and “Genocide” by Diane Orentlicher.
Freedom from discrimination, Freedom from slavery & servitude, Child soldiers, Conflict environments, International humanitarian law, Slavery, Children’s rights