Written by Lina Laurinaviciute
“Wars between states are confined to geographical areas and have a declared set of combatants, but terrorism can be conducted with relative ease across many national borders.”[1] Continue reading
Cyber Terrorism: Fact or Fiction?
Written by: Regina Paulose
Some scholars and military experts believe that “cyber terrorism” does not exist and is an exaggerated threat.[1] This is probably due to a lack of empirical evidence. There is perhaps some other (incorrect) assumptions which downplay the threat of cyber terrorism. Those assumptions are that terrorists will only use physical violence and they are ill equipped to use technology. These assumptions are tested within the framework of this article. Continue reading
Infographic: Armed Conflicts 1946-2013
Have you ever wondered how many armed conflicts there’ve been since 1946 and what impact they had? Or maybe you’re interested in how many conflicts there are now and what states remain conflict-free? Suit up! A Contrario has prepared the infographics on armed conflicts since 1946 up to now that includes the most up-to-date information that will help you find the answers you are looking for.
To Kill a Man with a Joystick
Written by: Teymour Aslam
With hindsight, it appears that the horrific events of September 11th, 2001, may have triggered a paradigm shift between established geopolitical alliances, altering conventional perceptions of, and existing relations between nation states, the manner in which international relations are conducted, and perhaps most relevantly, the utilisation of unconventional military tactics in situations which are becoming increasingly difficult to classify as conventional or traditional armed conflicts under IHL. Continue reading
Child Soldiers in Syria
Written by Garima Tiwari
“If the men are gone, our children are present.”[i]
After the death of his mother and his father’s disappearance 5 years ago, Shaaban Abdullah Hamid, aged 12 years, spent several years in the streets or doing casual jobs at a plastic factory. An uncle of Shaaban presented the boy with a handgun and offering him a job as a soldier for the Islamist group Afhad al-Rasul. The training lasted one month, after which the boy spent the following two months sniping at people walking or driving on an Aleppo bridge. Killing a civilian brought him $2.5, and killing a government soldier, $5. Working an 8-hour shift, he killed a total of 13 civilians and 10 soldiers. His firing position stayed warm round the clock, because two other boys worked the remaining two shifts. Shaaban also executed delinquent or offending rebels several times, doing so on orders from his uncle. In the end, his father got word of him and took him to a Red Crescent refugee camp in Hama. From there, both moved to Tartus to take up farming jobs. Asked about any emotions in connection with his sniping, he said he had none. [ii] Continue reading
A Contrario ICL 
