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Heller, Jon (2015) 'Disguising a Military Object as a Civilian Object: Prohibited Perfidy or Permissible Ruse of War?' International Law Studies, 91. pp. 517-539.

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Abstract

A number of scholars have claimed that it is inherently perfidious to kill an enemy soldier by disguising a military object as a civilian object. This essay disagrees, noting that conventional and customary IHL deem at least five military practices that involve making a military object appear to be a civilian object permissible ruses of war, not prohibited acts of perfidy: camouflage, ambush, cover, booby-traps, and landmines. The essay thus argues that attackers are free to disguise a military object as a civilian object as long as the civilian object in question does not receive special protection under international humanitarian law.

Item Type: Journal Article
SOAS Departments & Centres: Legacy Departments > Faculty of Law and Social Sciences > School of Law
ISSN: 23752831
Date Deposited: 11 Dec 2015 21:20
URI: https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/21560

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