Victory through Villainization: Atrocity, Global Opinion, and Insurgent Strategic Advantage

Although international war crimes law as such is a relatively recent development, claims that one's enemy has stepped outside the accepted boundaries of warfare have occurred throughout recorded history. In the last few decades, however, the globalization of media, the development of ever-cheaper digital recording devices, and other social and technological trends have allowed war crimes accusations to become an increasingly potent tool which insurgents can use to delegitimize the state which they are fighting. Indeed, insurgents have become so effective at using such techniques that many internationally prominent state leaders fiercely demand that states observe the laws of war but do not make similarly rigorous demands of insurgents. This article discusses how various insurgents, particularly those in conflict with US military forces, have guided global perceptions and used the aforementioned broader social and economic trends so as to create this advantageous outcome.