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III- Attacks on objects - Coggle Diagram

- - - - By nature, purpose or use make an effective contribution to military action
        
        So, a civilian object may become a military objective only if it makes an EFFECTIVE contribution to military action.
        
        Contribution must be effective: the contribution must be directed towards the actual war-fighting capabilities of the adversary and not merely war-sustaining capabilities
      - Definite military advantage. The advantage must be concrete, perceptible and the commander must have clear information about this advantage
        
        Must be a MILITARY advantage (not political, economic, ...°
        
        In the circumstances reling at the time: if an object does not yet or does not anymore provide military advantage -> no attack. NO PREEMPTIVE DESTRUCTION
      - Eg military airport, weapons storage site -> targetable
- - - - Goods indispensable to the survival of the civilian population such as crops, agricultural land or water sources (Art. 54(2) AP I & 14 AP II)
      - Works and installations containing dangerous forces such as dams, dikes, and nuclear powerplants (Art. 56 AP I & 14 AP II)
        -> their destruction would have a disproportionate impact on the civilian population.
        
        There has been debate on whether chemical factories or similar sites also qualify as such installations -> NO because factories are used to manufacture weapons, and thus can be military targets BUT if you attack them, you must strictly apply the rules of
        
        Proportionality
        
        Precaution
        
        Distinction
      - Cultural properties such as a tree of particular importance, or an archaeological site containing prehistoric paintings (Art. 53 AP I & 16 AP II)
      - Protected areas (e.g. Art. 59 AP I: ‘protected localities’) -> zones agreed upon by the parties to the conflict to be spared from hostilities