[lmm]

> Military pilots take orders; COs tell them how high to jump, and that's what they do. Either they follow orders or they are relieved of duty (and possibly face court martial).

Even so, and despite all the training, some do refuse orders. They're also at least theoretically obliged to refuse illegal orders (i.e. war crimes), at least in my country.

[jackgavigan]

Different countries have different definitions of what constitutes a war crime, depending on what international treaties they are parties to. Bombing wedding parties would come under what is often referred to as the Principle of Proportionality, as laid out in Article 51 of Protocol 1 to the Geneva Conventions and Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The United States is not a party to either treaty.

[mistercow]

Since when is the US not a party to the Geneva Conventions?

[dragonwriter]

Protocol I and Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 are later agreements that added to the 1949 Conventions, the United States is not a party to either Protocol, though it is a party to all four of the 1949 Conventions.

[mistercow]

Ah I see now. Thanks for clarifying.

[codfrantic]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18535330

[Kliment]

Sure, and those who refuse get replaced by new ones who won't. Doesn't take long to "fix" that "problem".