Americans Face Combat Retalation For Illegal Use of Banned Weapons

Insurgents Retaliate For US Geneva Violations

Ref US supplied insurgents with banned weapons.

Ref Chlorine bombs targeting troop helicopters.

Ref The Iraqi insurgency, in lawful retaliation for the illegal American use of chemical weapons, has used chemical weapons against US troops. [ BBC, Kos, ABC ]

Ref Discussion, summary on chem attacks

Ref: US troops don't need rifles -- they can use illegal CW agents. [/snark]

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The Americans have illegally used banned chemical weapons.

The laws of war permit combatants to reciprocate for violations of the laws of war. The insurgency has been authorized, through the Geneva conventions, to retaliate against the American troops using the same banned weapons.

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The principles of retaliation and reciprocity are part of the Conventions for a reason. The aim is to ensure there are timely consequences for illegal activity.

Troops do not have time to go to court; however, if they wage illegal warfare, they can be certain that the enemy may lawfully engage in like abuses.

The goal of recirpcotiy and retaliation is to have a timely consequences on the Americans for their illegal warfare and use of banned weapons. The aim is to create some incentives for commanders to comply with the laws of war. If there are timely consequences and retalation, the thinking is that commandes are less likely to order troops to commit war crimes.

Where Congress refuses to end illegal warfare, foreign fighters are permitted to use the banned weapons against more American targets.

The error was for the Americans to illegally invade, then use banned weapons. The US may not, as Japan attempted to do in WWII, use lawful opposition to the illegal American war of aggression to expand the war of aggression.

Until the Americans end their illegal war of aggression, foreign fighters may lawfully work with anyone to impose abuse, retaliation against the Americans for their illegal war of aggression.