SABAH AL-KHAZ’ALI/IRAQI MINISTRY OF DEFENSE
Iraq’s Center for Military Values and Principles, a section of the University of Defense for Military Studies, organized a course on international humanitarian law for a number of officers in the Iraqi Armed Forces in 2015. Staff Brig. Gen. Khalid al-Bayyati, commander of the Center for Military Values and Principles, talked about the importance of this course.
“In accordance with its commitment to international treaties and conventions, Iraq has signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Committee of the Red Cross to promote the culture of international humanitarian law in Iraq, especially within the Armed Forces,” he said. “A course for this purpose has been held in coordination with the International Red Cross Organization. This is one of the courses being held in our center, given the importance of this law and in light of the memorandum of training the Iraqi Armed Forces. Due to the importance of this law, it was introduced in the training program of the National Supreme Commission for International Humanitarian Law by Executive Order No. 10. The purpose is to familiarize the Armed Forces with its terms and mechanisms of application and to promote this culture among the Armed Forces.”
The objective of the course was to familiarize officers with the significance of this law — to protect and safeguard individuals who happen to be in a military operation field as well as zones protected from military operations.
Staff Brig. Gen. al-Bayyati highlighted the most important lessons participants received during the course. “In addition to conflict laws, the participants in this course studied the four Geneva Conventions, in addition to the First and Second Protocols, and how to use force and rules of engagement according to international humanitarian law.
Besides the principles of values, military principles, psychological warfare and how to boost fighters’ morale, they also learned methods of distinction and balance in noninternational conflicts and combat.”
Participants learned how to put forth plans to protect and handle noncombatants during conflict.
Speaking about the teaching staff who carried out this task, he said: “With regard to the international Humanitarian Law, it is being coordinated with the International Red Cross Organization through their international trainers. Staff from our center helped them. I would also like to mention that our Ministry [of Defense] is represented by the National Supreme Commission for International Humanitarian Law through the Center of Military Values and Principles.”
A preliminary training course was offered for that purpose at the Secretariat-General of the Council of Ministers. Participants in this course included personnel from the Ministry of Defense/Secretariat-General/Inspector General, the Office of the Chief of Staff, the General Legal Advisor and the Center for Military Values and Principles.
The International Committee of the Red Cross offered seats for Iraqi officers to receive training at the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo, Italy.
The center plans to disseminate information from the recent course, Staff Brig. Gen. al-Bayyati said. “The center has prepared a training program with specific terms and standards for spreading the culture of international humanitarian law in accordance with international standards. This will be put into effect upon completion of the officers’ training at the International Humanitarian Institute. It will then be presented to the authorities to obtain the proper approvals. Once this is achieved, it will be included in the Military Training Memorandum for the next phase. The largest possible number of officers will then be trained on this law. Thus, they will contribute to an important part of Iraq’s fulfillment of its international commitments to conduct training on this international humanitarian law.”
The commander said he is thankful the center can support this type of training for Iraqi officers. “I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the minister of defense, the chief of staff and the adjutant chief of staff for training for their unlimited support of the center to achieve its national mission — to educate the members of the Iraqi military and Armed Forces on the military values and principles, military professionalism, psychological warfare and combating rumors — in order to raise the level of performance.”
A version of this story ran in Khaymat al-Iraq magazine.