re >>or devastation not justified by military necessity;<<
What is there that you do not understand? It is an "either/or" statement. That is just one of the possibilities of a war crime. Other "violations of the laws or customs of war" are:
- murder (...) of civilian population
- wanton destruction of cities, towns, or villages
your quote comes next, after the word "OR":
- or devastation not justified by military necessity
... as you have pasted:
>>(b) War Crimes: namely, violations of the laws or customs of war. Such violations shall include, but not be limited to, murder, ill-treatment or deportation to slave labor or for any other purpose of civilian population of or in occupied territory, murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war or persons on the seas, killing of hostages, plunder of public or private property, wanton destruction of cities, towns, or villages, or devastation not justified by military necessity;<<
By the way, I realize you take "military necessity" to mean "it was necessary to end the war", but I think it is there to mean "where there are military targets". Otherwise, all devastation of major cities and demoralizing massacre of civilian populations in all wars would be OK... I do not think that is the intention here. |
