| Comment | As soon as that person stopped firing at you, they were considered to be a non-combatant and were protected by the law of armed conflict. The Taliban were well aware of this and learned to use it to their advantage in every way imaginable. These laws were rigorously enforced by a new breed of ambulance chasing lawyers who aim to prosecute soldiers who could have been perceived to have overstepped the mark in the heat of the moment. They were also enforced internally, by kicking the fuck out of lads who did commit war crimes as punishment for the shame they bring to your cap badge.
It's like trying to defend yourself with one hand tied behind your back and pales in comparison to a US police officers' much more liberal right (as enshrined by your supreme court) to shoot a mugger fleeing from the scene. |
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