Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirajj
So what is this crackerjack ruling going to tell our troops in the field?
"Be sure to shoot to kill."
The problem I have with this is that this guy had just been shooting at the Canadian troops. So you are seriously telling me that if someone is shooting at me, I manage hit them, knock them down and their gun falls out of their hands...that I shouldn't finish them off?
I wonder what this guy would have done if he'd managed to get his gun back in hand. Shoot at them again? Shoot them in the back (The unit had moved past him). Why in the world should our troops waste medical supplies they should be using on themselves and other Canadian (or Ally) troops on guy who wouldn't hesitate to kill them?
I guess that's what makes us 'better' than them...but it's still a hard, bitter pill to swallow. It just feels wrong.
|
Sure I get this.
But as soon as a person is no longer a threat on the field they're a non combatant. And these soldiers are not medical officers, they can't do a death diagnosis.
Next thing you know, you get an angry young soldier, pissed off about the loss of a buddy, and you executes a unarmed prisoner because he has a infected toe.
We're better then the Taliban, our soldiers are supposed to be professionals, According to the rules a professional soldier does not execute an unarmed prisoner no matter what their medical condition.
Quote:
|
I wonder what this guy would have done if he'd managed to get his gun back in hand. Shoot at them again? Shoot them in the back (The unit had moved past him).
|
The prisoner was disarmed. Its unlikely though that the soldiers would have left behind a capable enemy with a weapon. If he refused to surrender they would have greased him, if he surrenders then you take him as a prisoner.
Quote:
|
The problem I have with this is that this guy had just been shooting at the Canadian troops. So you are seriously telling me that if someone is shooting at me, I manage hit them, knock them down and their gun falls out of their hands...that I shouldn't finish them off?
|
If you hit him and knock the weapon out of his hand, under the convention, he's now a noncombatant, you are obligated to offer aid. If he picks up his weapon and he's wounded you kill him. If you disarm him and he indicates surrender you can't just shoot him out of hand.
Its just like the rule of the sea, your obligated to offer your enemy rescue if they request it. You can't just shoot their boat out from under them, or grease them with a machine gun.