May 24, 2013
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Description
Human shield is a military and political term describing the deliberate placement of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets. It may also refer to the use of civilians to literally shield combatants during attacks, by forcing the civilians to march in front of the soldiers. This is done in the hope that the other party will be reluctant to attack them. Furthermore, if the other party attacks these targets anyway, the resulting civilian casualties have propaganda value.
Using this technique increases the civilian casualty rate and is illegal by any nation that is party to the Fourth Geneva Convention.
(via Freebase)
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