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Human shield
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==== Iraq under Saddam Hussein ==== [[Saddam Hussein]] systematically used human shields in [[Iraq]].<ref>James R. Arnold (2008). [https://books.google.com/books?id=6T1s4t65qvQC&pg=PA76 ''Saddam Hussein's Iraq'']. p. 76</ref> According to a CIA report, he used the tactics at least since 1988.<ref>[https://fas.org/irp/cia/product/iraq_human_shields/index.html "Putting Noncombatants at Risk: Saddam's Use of 'Human Shields{{'"}}],. Central Intelligence Agency. February 26, 2003. "Over the past 15 years, Iraqi President Saddam Husayn has employed several variations of a 'human shields' tactic ..."</ref> ===== Gulf War ===== One of the most well-known uses of human shields occurred in [[History of Iraq under Ba'athist rule|Iraq]] in 1990, following the [[Invasion of Kuwait|Iraqi invasion]] of [[Kuwait]] that precipitated the [[Gulf War|Gulf War of 1990β1991]]. [[Saddam Hussein]]'s government detained hundreds of citizens of [[Western world|Western]] countries who were in Iraq for use as human shields in an attempt to deter nations from participating in military operations against the country. A number of these [[hostage]]s were filmed meeting Hussein, and kept with him to deter any targeted attacks, whilst others were held in or near military and industrial targets.<ref name="BBCOTD">BBC News. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/23/newsid_2512000/2512289.stm "1990: Outrage at Iraqi TV hostage show"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201022736/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/23/newsid_2512000/2512289.stm |date=February 1, 2008}}. Retrieved September 2, 2007.</ref> He used both Westerners and Iraqi civilians.<ref>Jan Goldman (2014). [https://books.google.com/books?id=bjeaBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA174 ''War on Terror Encyclopedia: From the Rise of Al-Qaeda to 9/11 and Beyond'']. ABC Clio. p.174</ref> In 1991, during the operations in the Gulf War, the U.S. submitted a report to the [[UN Security Council]] denouncing Iraq for having "intentionally placed civilians at risk through its behavior". The report cited the following examples of such behavior: * The Iraqi government moved significant amounts of military weapons and equipment into civilian areas with the deliberate purpose of using innocent civilians and their homes as shields against attacks on legitimate military targets. * Iraqi fighter and bomber aircraft were dispersed into villages near the military airfields where they were parked between civilian houses and even placed immediately adjacent to important archaeological sites and historic treasures. * Coalition aircraft were fired upon by anti-aircraft weapons in residential neighborhoods in various cities. In Baghdad, anti-aircraft sites were located on hotel roofs. * In one case, military engineering equipment used to traverse rivers, including mobile bridge sections, was located in several villages near an important crossing point. The Iraqis parked each vehicle adjacent to a civilian house.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v2_cou_us_rule23 |title=United States of America Practice Relating to Rule 23. Location of Military Objectives outside Densely Populated Areas |publisher=[[International Committee of the Red Cross]] |access-date=2013-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012072427/http://www.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v2_cou_us_rule23 |archive-date=2013-10-12 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>
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