Civilian Casualti

esJade Doumani, Mike Maalouf, George Chalhoub, and Mohammad H. Chaccour

Civilian CasualtiesMilitary term describing civilians killed, injured or imprisoned by military personnel or combatants.

How do civilian casualties occur?Civilian causalities occur as a result of military actions such as the widespread use of weapons of mass destructions.

There is no obligation to evacuation

civilians from the

battle field area

What is a civilian?Person who is not a combatant and does not take a direct part in the hostilities.

Massacres, rapes displacement, famine and disease are usually designed. They are policies in war.

Often 90% of victims are civilians!

Some factsAt least 132,000 civilians have died from 10 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some factsAn estimated 260,000 civilians were either killed or wounded by chemical weapons during the First World War.

Some factsDuring the Holocaust in World War II, more than 11,000,000 civilians and prisoners of war were killed as part of Hitler’s genocidal policy.

The Ethical Question

Is it immoral to kill civilians in war if the war tactics allow

that?

Hypothetical CaseYou invade a village and neutralize, their entire army.You’ve won.All that’s left are the women, children, and elderly, who are not a threat to you.You feel that feeding and monitoring them is a waste of resources.So you wonder if you should kill everyone?

Hypothetical CaseConservation of resourcesVs.Preservation of the life of captives

Arguments for killing citizens• Argument 1: If the whole

nation was supporting the war effort, then every member of that nation poses a possible threat even if they do not participate in physical warfare.

Arguments for killing citizens• Argument 2: You have just attacked

their nation and they are most likely going to rebel against you, but if you killed them you destroy their social and political structure destroying the most vital part of their nation and removing any threat of rebellion what so ever.

Critique

It’s very simple: killing innocent people who cannot harm is excessive and does not follow reason. Why attack and kill someone who is not a threat?

Virtue Theory:

• Killing innocent civilians goes against their natural rights:• The right to live• The right to not to be attacked without

provocation• The right to protection from your

sovereign government when no wrong doing has been committed.

Rights Theory:

• Even though you’re saving resources, killing people would be more of a burden to your cause and decrease utility.

Utilitarianism:

• If you kill them, the media would call you a dictator and murderer.

• They will savagely attack and destroy your image and your cause.

When that happens you lose the public trust and support of your followers.

Your enemies now have the political advantage and moral advantage over you.

They will gain national and international support against YOU.

Utilitarianism:

Less followers = smaller army= less utility More enemies= more threats= less utility

No army is strong enough to face the entire world and no army can really hold down an internal rebellion for too long.

Utilitarianism:

The battle in the town is won but the whole

war is completely lost.