[April 4, 2022] Credible allegations of Russian troops committing war crimes in Ukraine are now discussed as a topic in senior political circles. War crimes, especially against innocent civilians, are a serious charge and should not be ignored. Are the accusations true?
What we know is that we don’t know. The West’s information about the Russia-Ukraine War comes almost exclusively from Ukrainian sources. Thanks to social and news media cutting off Russian media and its government, we cannot see the other side of the issue. Our media made a grave mistake by doing this.
Reports of bodies of ‘executed people’ strewn about in the streets of the city of Bucha are the latest. This is widely reported.1,2 U.S. Secretary of State Blinken made the accusation himself and vowed “accountability” for these war crimes.3 Being a senior government official, I would caution him not to make incendiary comments without substantial proof. That’s what professional leaders do.
This is not the Russian military’s first accounting of war crimes and will not be the last.
The history of warfare comes with a cautionary tale to govern its conduct. War is rarely waged without limits. Even as early as Aristotle, there were efforts to outline a “just war.” A more recent example was Abraham Lincoln’s Lieber Code (I wrote about it last year). Much of that code was integrated into the Hague Conventions of 1899 and the Geneva Accords of 1954.
What is a war crime? A war crime is committed when combatants violate the laws of war as defined by international treaties or customary law.4 Note that the ability to prove a war crime requires overwhelming evidence. Have we proven Russian war crimes? Many would argue that the debate has only just begun.
The war is not going according to the Russian plan to destroy the Ukrainian government in one fell swoop. Frustrated Russian troops and their commanders could be taking out their anger on civilians or captured Ukrainian soldiers. Such acts are not unheard of in war. We have certainly not heard the last. Russia has already charged Ukraine with committing war crimes.
What will happen next? Many “experts” will tell you what happens next, but I suggest they are only guessing. War always brings the unexpected.
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- https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/03/europe/bucha-ukraine-civilian-deaths-intl/index.html
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60949791
- https://www.foxnews.com/politics/blinken-us-number-ukraine-russia-accountability-war-crimes
- Acts such as killing civilians, killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hostages, committing genocide and ethnic cleansing are considered war crimes. They are often unwarranted acts of violence or brutality and violate the rules of military conflicts. The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates breaches of The Rome Statute and tries people who are charged with the most substantial crimes of concern international communities.
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You’ve got to be all in on socialism and the woke ideology of Marxism to fall for thinking Putin would not invade Ukraine. Geee, he did it before in 2014. Why not now?
Got that right. 👍👍👍👍
It is not easy making predictions about the future because there are too many wild cards and the world is a complex place. But Ukraine was easily seen. Putin told us what he was going to do, staged his forces on the border, and gave us warnings. Our US State Dept, Dept of Defense and Pres Biden thought he was “kidding.” Guess not.
We all appreciate the updates, Gen. Satterfield. I’ll suggest you give us some lessons learned from the US perspective.
Yes, like how our intell services grossly overestimated the Russian military and underestimated the Ukrainian military effort.
The first step in fixing a problem is to recognize it is a problem and then to develop the will power to do something about it. I don’t think US Pres Joe Biden yet recognizes the problem of China being involved in supporting Russia in the Ukraine war.
Mark, correct and that is why the West will come out of the Ukraine War weaker diplomatically and economically. China is in a win win situation.
Gen. Satterfield, thanks for the update. The war in Ukraine is raising a number of questions regarding traditional warfare that is based on WWII style war. This is how Russia conducts war but in this case, I think most agree that Putin underestimated the strength and will of the Ukrainian peoples.
Yes, Dale, I believe we will see in the coming weeks a lot of articles about “old fashioned kinetic warfare” and that it is outdate. The new form of warfare is what China is waging against the world, economic warfare.
Jerome, your comment is the best so far today. Yes, I do agree with you that the face of warfare is changing. The world’s nation states are in competition with one another. We no longer tolerate direct killing of people but we will tolerate their enslavement. Just like we tolerate China’s enslavement of the Uighurs. Even Pres. Biden says it’s OKAY.
“Biden dismisses Uighur genocide as part of China’s ‘different norms’ ”
https://nypost.com/2021/02/17/biden-says-uighur-genocide-is-part-of-chinas-different-norms/
A White House spokesperson could not immediately be reached by The Post for comment. Natch!
Well said, Max. 👍
Spot on! Can’t see it? – Question directed at Joe Biden and other politicians! – Then you are blind and the reason the USA and West will get its collective butts kicked by China. When you don’t see or acknowledge the threat, you will be smashed.
Nailed it, Gen. Satterfield …..
“Many ‘experts’ will tell you what happens next, but I suggest they are only guessing. “
And this is why I read this website. Gen. Satterfield is on target when he writes articles like this one.
Justice and the Justification of War in Ancient Greece. A very good article on this idea of “just war.” I recommend it.
https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=classicshp#:~:text=That%20Just%20War%20Theory%20has%20peace%20as%20its,war%20should%20be%20peace%20%28Politics%201333b37%29%2C%20he%20nonetheless
The definition of “war crimes” – like so many other concepts that gets thrown around in common language – gets diluted to mean less and less of its original intent. Now if Russian happens to bomb a communication tower with any person in it, WAR CRIMES are screamed. Folks, don’t get taken in by the propaganda. 👀
Point well made, Fred. Too many of us take for granted that war crimes or whatever concept means what it means officially. Words are used in this case as a weapon, not as a concept to be understood. Like calling someone a racist or sexist who questions the current orthodoxy.
Ursala, thanks. Use of words as weapons is a proper note but that is the point, is it not?
Excellent update and analysis.
War is bad. But there are such things in human experience that are worse. Ukraine is about to find out if they cannot stop the Russian military.
Slavery!
… and Russian will be extracting more oil and gas from Ukraine and that is what powers their communist government. Extraction of natural resources is what always powers communism because they cannot extract that much from people unless they enslave them. Oh, they did that.
Got that right.
Yet, our snowflake young people cannot see it because they do not see or understand freedom.
Too many snowflakes. That is what happens when you discourage folks to take responsibility.