ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes that the war convention and argues for a particular understanding of it. It asserts that one of the primary purposes of the war convention is to delineate the distinction between combatants and noncombatants and to outline the permissible conduct in war with respect to the classes of people. The book examines that problematic cases where noncombatants traditionally have been understood to have lost their immunity from attack. It explores the tensions and contradictions within the war convention, noting how various aspects of the convention seem to conflict. The book also examines the status of combatants in terms of their autonomy and examines Michael Walzer's claim that soldiers lose their right to life. It explains what Michael Walzer calls supreme emergency, which represents perhaps the greatest challenge to any just war theory that argues for constraints and the immunity of noncombatants.
