Canoeing (war crime)
Script error: No such module "Draft topics".
Script error: No such module "AfC topic".
Canoeing (war crime)[edit]
Canoeing refers to the practice of firing a bullet through the top of a human skull to split it into two pieces. This results in a wedge-shaped opening at the top of the head resembling a canoe, which is its namesake. Canoeing is most often done to celebrate a kill, with photos of the mutilated casualty often taken to be kept as "trophy shots" similar in idea to a hunting trophy. Because of its dehumanizing nature, it has gathered significant attention and controversy as more examples were brought to public knowledge. Although canoeing is generally done to remains of enemy casualties, its definition also extends to cases where it is done to a live enemy or prisoner of war.[1] If done to a live person, it is considered a lethal form of torture and will result in immediate death or lethal hemorrhaging.[example needed]
The practice was popularized among US special operations groups such as DEVGRU and SFOD-D during the Global War On Terror, with its occurrences peaking between the years 2005-2008.[2] As a form of body desecration, canoeing is considered a war crime under the Geneva Convention when done intentionally.[3]
As commander of JSOC from 2008 to 2011,[4] Admiral William McRaven initiated an effort to reduce the prevalence of canoeing and other illegal practices in the SEAL community. After his appointment on the 13th of June 2008, the prevalence of canoeing dropped significantly and it became an uncommon practice in American SOF units.[2]
Osama bin Laden[edit]
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed on May the 2nd, 2011 by DEVGRU members during Operation Neptune Spear. Afterwards, Admiral McRaven gave an order to those involved for all photos of bin Laden's remains to be turned over to the either the CIA or a party whose identity has been redacted, or destroyed.[5]
It has been suggested that bin Laden's body was likely subject to canoeing;[2] thus a likely reason for the nondisclosure order is due to this possibility. If this were the case, the release of this information would likely have led to public controversy. The claim of bin Laden's canoeing is disputed, however it is known that at some point during the raid bin Laden was shot in the head twice.[2][6] This was in contradiction to specific orders not to shoot bin Laden near the face to avoid complicating his later identification.[2] Due to the contortion of bin Laden's face by the two shots, the persons responsible for confirming his identity had difficulty identifying the body. Notably, McRaven recalls that a photo taken of bin Laden immediately after his death was clear enough to positively identify him.[7] This account further reinforces the possibility that bin Laden's remains were further mutilated after his death.
References[edit]
- ↑ Quinn, Patrick. "Why is canoeing a war crime?". Quora. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Cole, Matthew. "The Crimes of SEAL Team 6".
- ↑ https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/assets/files/publications/icrc-002-0173.pdf
- ↑ "Joint Special Operations Command Change of Command" (Press release). USSOCOM. June 13, 2008. Archived from the original on July 14, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2022. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Judicial Watch v. DoD, 13-cv-1343 (JDB)" (PDF). Judicial Watch. January 31, 2014. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
- ↑ Szoldra, Paul. "Navy SEAL's book on the bin Laden killing shows the real reason photos of the body were never released". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
- ↑ McRaven, William (May 2019). Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations. United States of America: Grand Central Publishing. p. 325.CS1 maint: Date and year (link) Search this book on
This article "Canoeing (war crime)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Canoeing (war crime). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
