The Geneva Conventions Under Assault

Outrages committed during violent conflict and as part of the 'war on terror' are not only an affront to human dignity, they also violate the Geneva Conventions. Looking at high-profile cases of repeated and open abuse of the Conventions, the book reveals how attempts to undermine the Geneva Conventions as incompatible with the age of 'global terror' will create a less secure and more volatile world. From normalising torture in Guantanamo, to new technical and tactical developments that challenge the standing of the conventions, the contributors reveal how even individuals in the most powerful countries face the prospect of a horrifying vulnerability.

Table of Contents:
Preface Abbreviations and Acronyms 1. The Geneva Conventions and the Normative Tenor of International Relations by Sonia Cardenas 2. The History and Status of the Geneva Conventions by Wade Mansell and Karen Openshaw 3. The Principle of Proportionality in the Law of Armed Conflict by Françoise Hampson 4. Civilian Protection – What’s Left of the Norm? by Stuart Gordon 5. The Protection of Detainees in International Humanitarian Law by Keiichiro Okimoto 6. Non-Lethal Weapons: A Rose by any Other Name by Nick Lewer 7. From ‘Total War’ to ‘Total Operations’ – Contemporary Doctrine and Adherence to IHL by Björn Müller-Wille 8. The Paradox of Value Discourses by Helen Dexter 9. Freeing Force from Legal Constraint by Jim Whitman 10. Undermining International Humanitarian Law and the Politics of Liberal Democracies by Sarah Perrigo About the Contributors Index

About the Author :
Sarah Perrigo is Postgraduate Research Director at the Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford. She is the co-editor of The Geneva Conventions Under Assault (Pluto Press, 2010). Jim Whitman is a senior lecturer in the Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford and general editor of the Palgrave Global Issues book series. He is the co-editor of The Geneva Conventions Under Assault (Pluto Press, 2010).

Review :
Few international instruments are more necessary today than the Geneva Conventions. This valuable, timely and very accessible collection of essays explains their foundational values and, from a range of perspectives, their ability to outlast short term political imperatives. -- Professor Philippe Sands QC, University College London, author of Lawless World and Torture Team This book identifies relevant law, trends, factors, mutual self-interests at stake, and consequences regarding underlying values of human dignity and force restrained by laws that are necessary for the rule of law in liberal democracies and in an international community attentive to human rights. -- Jordan J. Paust, Mike & Teresa Baker Law Center Professor of International Law, University of Houston