JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNIVERSITY
JSOU Report 21-1 The Blurred Battlefield Paterson
Joint Special Operations University
7701 Tampa Point Boulevard
MacDill AFB, FL 33621
htt ps://jsou.libguides .com/jsoupublications
This monograph is a serious and well-researched investigation into crucial
factors of contemporary warfare. Readers will learn lessons on the distinctions
between the Law of Armed Conict and criminal law, particularly on impor-
tant issues like lethal force, escalation of force tactics, and security detention.
Professor Paterson makes a strong argument that the stated policy of respect
and promotion of human rights (HR)—that has long been a guiding principle
of the U.S. military—does not translate into specic and mandatory directives
at the tactical and operational levels. Indeed, he asserts that at those levels
there is no formal attention to HR, only ad hoc eorts by operational units
that don’t receive guiding policy. This monograph will be essential reading for
policymakers and those whose task is the development of granular precepts
to guide implementation and execution of policy on the ground.
ISBN 978-1-941715-50-5
Soldiers from multiple nations participate in the opening ceremony of Flintlock in ies,
Senegal, on February . Flintlock, an annual African-led Special Operations Forces exer-
cise that began in , is focused on security, counterterrorism, and military humanitarian
support to outlying areas. Photo by U.S. Army Specialist Zayid Ballesteros/ U.S. Army Africa
The Blurred Battleeld:
The Perplexing Conation of
Humanitarian and Criminal Law in
Contemporary Conicts
Patrick Paterson
JSOU Report 21-1
