| |
| | PARAMETERS, US Army War College Quarterly - Summer 2005 |
 | | Lawful combatants include organized armed forces of sovereign states, members of other volunteer corps and organized resistance movements meeting strict criteria (e.g., carrying arms openly, following the laws and customs of war), and civilians spontaneously taking up arms on the approach of the enemy and also following the laws and customs of war. |
 | | Alternatively, its sometimes argued that terrorists are unlawful combatants. The concept of an unlawful combatant first emerged in the 19th century to encompass spies, saboteurs, and guerrilla fighters, whose mode of operations didnt comport with established rules on military identification and overtly conducted military operations. |
 | | The customary law of war is a dynamic, evolving component of international law and continues to fill the gap where treaties fail. |
| www.carlisle.army.mil /usawc/Parameters/05summer/hoffman.htm (6850 words) |
|