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Controversies in Military Ethics <br/>& Security Policy logoControversies in Military Ethics
& Security Policy
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Saving the Enemy? Military Medical Personnel under Fire

Lightning-fast decisions are required between life and death. Whom to treat first in light of limited resources – the fellow soldier, the civilian or the enemy? In the field, this question often leads to moral conflicts. Is it at all possible to reconcile military necessity with the principles of medical ethics, and who helps the helpers? Military medical personnel in conflict with ethics and International Humanitarian Law.

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Care to the Wounded: A Core Duty of Humanity

Paul Bouvier

By subordinating medical assistance to military objectives, we are putting our humanity at risk.

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Medicine as a Non-Lethal Weapon: The Ethics of "Winning Hearts and Minds"

Sheena M. Eagan Chamberlin

Purely strategic medical humanitarian assistance poses problems for U.S. military doctors, and lowers their motivation.

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Military Healthcare Professionals in Conflict with International Humanitarian Law

Cord von Einem

Military doctors and medics often go beyond their humanitarian role and risk criminal liability.

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Caring for Compatriots: Military Necessity before Medical Need?

Michael Gross

National security interests and the ethics of care allow preferential treatment of one’s own soldiers.

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Ethics in the Field: The Experiences of Canadian Military Healthcare Professionals

Ethics in Military Medicine Research Group (EMMRG)

Study shows: Ethical dilemmas arise mainly from the complexity of international missions, less from a dual role.

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There’s Always Potential! Medicine and the Debate on Human Enhancement for Soldiers

Bernhard Koch

Unnatural enhancements for body and brain – therapy, doping and performance pressure for soldiers violate medical ethical principles

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Conflict of Roles and Duties – Why Military Doctors are Doctors

Daniel Messelken

International law and medical ethics require military doctors to treat enemies and fellow soldiers equally.

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Respect and Distance – Médecins sans Frontières and the Military

Ulrike von Pilar
Birthe Redepenning

Humanitarianism as a political weapon endangers human lives

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Special: Helpers in Danger – New Challenges in Armed Conflicts

Healthcare in Danger – How Helpers Become Victims

Babak Ali Naraghi

Violence against doctors and patients is increasing in armed conflicts. Only international efforts can protect healthcare.

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New Values for Military Medical Personnel? Medical Ethics in Military Context

Ingo Patschke

Asymmetric warfare and new enemies challenge the rules of war. Why values are getting more and more important.

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Beware of the "Slippery Slope“ – Healthcare Professionals between Medical Ethics and Military Duties

Ralf Vollmuth

When giving up their special status, military medical personnel face high risks

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Who Helps the Helpers? The First German Military Chaplain on an Ebola Mission

Andreas-Christian Tübler

Joint operations with armed forces and NGOs can be fruitful for all parties in humanitarian missions.

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