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1050GlobalRiseintheThreatofEco-terrorism
Threatstothemarineenvironmentthroughmodernnaval
warfareappearedduringtheIran-IraqWar(1980-1988).Inthe
courseoftheconict,bothsidescarriedoutoperationstotake
overtheoilsupplieswhichlinkedtheiradversarytotheoutside
world,whileatthesametimeprovidingsecurityfortheirownoil
transports.On2March1983theIraqiAirForcelaunchedanat-
tackontheIranianplatformNowruz,consequentlycausingan
oilspillandenvironmentaldamageańectingIraqandneutral
states.InResolution540,theUNSecurityCouncilcalledonboth
sidesintheconicttorefrainfromactionswhichcouldpose
athreattothepeace,securityandmarineenvironmentofthe
PersianGulfregion.
Militaryoperationsduringthe1990-1991GulfWarconict,for
thefirsttimeinhistory,proveddestructivetotheenvironment
butwerealsoemployedasweaponsofwarintheirownright.
TherewereplanstopumpthousandsoftonnesofoilfromKu-
waitiplatformsintothebayandtodisruptseawaterdesalination
plants.Settingoilwellsonfirehasaloneseriouslydestroyedthe
region’snaturalenvironment,releasingoverhalfamilliontonnes
ofpollutantsintotheair,includingsulphurdioxidewhichcauses
acidrain.ThecoralreefofthePersianGulfwaswipedout,aswere
thousandsofmarinebirds.
Theevaluationofcompliancewithinternationallawastotheuse
ofenvironmentalweaponsinthearea,aswellasthesubsequent
negativeenvironmentalimpactasaresultofmilitaryaction,isde-
cidedlynegative.Theobligationtoprotectandconservethema-
rineenvironmentresultsfromArt.192ofthe1982LawoftheSea
Conventionandisaiuscogensnorminforceinover100countries
acrosstheworld.
Theuseofecologicalweaponsinarmedconictviolatesthecri-
terionofproportionalityofthemeansemployedtotheantici-
patedmilitaryeńects.Noweaponshouldbeemployedinaway
whichcausesunjustifiedsuńering,civilianlossesorexcessive
destruction.
AnadditionalprotocoltotheGenevaConventionsof12August
1949concerningtheprotectionofthevictimsofinternational
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ENVIRONMENTALLAW
