[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 125 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 125

Expressing deep concern over the use of civilians as ``human shields'' 
   in violation of international humanitarian law and the law of war 
 during armed conflict, including Hezbollah's tactic of embedding its 
 forces among civilians to use them as human shields during the summer 
      of 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and the State of Israel.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 5, 2007

  Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself, Mr. Klein of Florida, Mr. Pence, Mr. 
Burton of Indiana, Mr. Manzullo, Mr. Tancredo, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Smith of 
   New Jersey, Mr. Sherman, and Mr. Fortuno) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing deep concern over the use of civilians as ``human shields'' 
   in violation of international humanitarian law and the law of war 
 during armed conflict, including Hezbollah's tactic of embedding its 
 forces among civilians to use them as human shields during the summer 
      of 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and the State of Israel.

Whereas the term ``human shields'' refers to the use of civilians, prisoners of 
        war, or other noncombatants whose mere presence is designed to protect 
        combatants and objects from attack;
Whereas the use of human shields violates international humanitarian law and the 
        law of war;
Whereas throughout the summer of 2006 conflict with the State of Israel, 
        Hezbollah forces utilized human shields to protect themselves from 
        counterattacks by Israeli forces;
Whereas the majority of civilian casualties of that conflict might have been 
        avoided and civilian lives saved had Hezbollah not employed this tactic;
Whereas the news media made constant mention of civilian casualties but rarely 
        pointed to the culpability, under international law, of Hezbollah for 
        their endangerment of such civilians;
Whereas United States and international leaders attempted to call the use of 
        human shields to the world's attention;
Whereas on August 11, 2006, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated, 
        ``Hezbollah and its sponsors have brought devastation upon the people of 
        Lebanon, dragging them into a war that they did not choose, and 
        exploiting them as human shields . . .'';
Whereas on August 14, 2006, President George W. Bush stated, ``Hezbollah 
        terrorists targeted Israeli civilians with daily rocket attacks. 
        Hezbollah terrorists used Lebanese civilians as human shields, 
        sacrificing the innocent in an effort to protect themselves from Israeli
        response . . .'';
Whereas Jan Egeland, United Nations Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian 
        Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, accused Hezbollah of 
        ``cowardly blending . . . among women and children'';
Whereas Additional Protocol I, Article 50(1) to the Geneva Convention defines 
        civilian as, ``[a]ny person who does not belong to one of the categories 
        of persons referred to in Article 4(A)(1), (2), (3), and (6) of the 
        Third Convention and in Article 43 of this Protocol. In the case of 
        doubt whether a person is a civilian, that person shall be considered a 
        civilian.'';
Whereas Additional Protocol I, Article 51(7) to the Geneva Convention states, 
        ``[T]he presence or movement of the civilian population or individual 
        civilians shall not be used to render certain points or areas immune 
        from military operations, in particular in attempts to shield military 
        objectives from attacks or to shield, favour or impede military 
        operations. The Parties to the conflict shall not direct the movement of 
        the civilian population or individual civilians in order to attempt to 
        shield military objectives from attacks or to shield military 
        operations.''; and
Whereas Convention IV, Article 28, Relative to the Protection of Civilian 
        Persons in Time of War of the Geneva Convention states, ``The presence 
        of a protected person may not be used to render certain points or areas 
        immune from military operations.'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) strongly condemns the use of innocent civilians as 
        human shields, including Hezbollah's use of this brutal and 
        illegal tactic during the summer of 2006 conflict with Israel;
            (2) calls on the international community to recognize the 
        grave breaches of international law through the use of human 
        shields; and
            (3) calls on the community of United States and 
        international jurisprudential scholars and practitioners and 
        the leadership of the Armed Forces to review the current 
        international legal regime and to make recommendations to 
        prevent the future use of human shields during armed conflicts.
                                 <all>