Neil James Mitchell
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814761441
- eISBN:
- 9780814763377
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814761441.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
This chapter presents the case of Baha Mousa, who died by being beaten to death by British soldiers in 2003, in which no British officer was held responsible. In relation to this, the chapter ...
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This chapter presents the case of Baha Mousa, who died by being beaten to death by British soldiers in 2003, in which no British officer was held responsible. In relation to this, the chapter explains that the way blame is attributed is connected to three underlying motives for violation. The first is Machiavelli's motive or the intention to get and secure power. The second is the Inquisitor's motive which springs from the leader's intolerant belief system. The last refers to the motive of the agent who administers the violence. These motives lead to violations committed either on the initiative of government leaders or on the initiative of individual agents.Less
This chapter presents the case of Baha Mousa, who died by being beaten to death by British soldiers in 2003, in which no British officer was held responsible. In relation to this, the chapter explains that the way blame is attributed is connected to three underlying motives for violation. The first is Machiavelli's motive or the intention to get and secure power. The second is the Inquisitor's motive which springs from the leader's intolerant belief system. The last refers to the motive of the agent who administers the violence. These motives lead to violations committed either on the initiative of government leaders or on the initiative of individual agents.
