Iraq: Bombing of Iraqi state television

Wednesday 26 March 2003 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Iraq: Bombing of Iraqi state television

Amnesty International today cautioned that the bombing of the Iraqi state television station in Baghdad by US allied forces could be a breach of the Geneva Conventions.

"The bombing of a television station, simply because it is being used for the purposes of propaganda, cannot be condoned. It is a civilian object, and thus protected under international humanitarian law," the organisation said.

According to Protocol 1 of the Geneva Conventions Article 52 (2) "Attacks shall be limited strictly to military objectives. In so far as objects are concerned, military objectives are limited to those objects which by their nature, location, purpose or use make an effective contribution to military action and whose total or partial destruction, capture or neutralization, in the circumstances ruling at the time, offers a definite military advantage."

For further information on Amnesty International's concerns and recommendations about the crisis in Iraq please visit:

http://www.amnesty.org.nz/iraq

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