Why do armies always go for orphanages, hospitals and scools?

Question

Why is it, that in a war, the enemy always go for soft civilian targets instead of military ones?

Answer 1

It one way of degrading morale in the military and with our civilians.

Vet-USAF

Answer 2

Always is a strong word. They may do that to take down enemy moral, but like the other guy said, it's illegal. Otherwise, I think it'll be more common that military targets are attacked. For example, in Iraq, we took out their radar. In the Civil War, we tried to capture important places.

Answer 3

In recent years the armies that hit those places do so by accident, or those who they are fighting are using them as shields.

The terrorists who attack those places do it to intimidate people, often their own countrymen and women, and because they are a different faction.

As present more Palestinian's are killing more Palestinians than Israel has.

Answer 4

According to the international agreement of the Geneva Conventions,  deliberately targeting of civilians is a war crime.   Therefore if any nation who signed it does in fact do as you ask,  they are committing a war crime and the person who ordered the attack and those who carried out the attack can be tried for that war crime.  

So I would not use the word "always" in your sentence.    

Answer 5

Well, in the current war on terror, it is an ideological issue

The enemy has no regard for human life, or, at least, non muslim life.

as such, they do not follow the geneva convention.

Of course, one must ask:

Why does war even have rules? It is an assinine notion, that war should have guidelines. because, when one side follows the rules, and another side doesnt, the non "Law-abiding" adversary has an...unfair advantage, so to speak, even thought that would be fair...anyways...

We are being hampered in Iraq like we were in Vietnam, due to the fact that we must respect their religion and avoid damaging mosques. I say, war is war, why should we respect those who murdered 3000 innocents in cold blood? We should retaliate tenfold:

If a suicide bomber blows up a convoy vehicle, multiple tomahawks strike a civilian area in the bomber's homeland

If another 9/11 type incident occurs, or even one on the relatively low scale of the london bombings, an enttire arabic city should be targetted with VX nerve agent

we can win by making the terrorists the one who feel fear...

Answer 6

Apparently you have not traveled to these countries.   Life is cheap there and their governments/warlords regularly utilize these facilities as a cover for their operations.  As miserable as this sounds, it is true.  I suggest you travel to these depraved places and see this for yourself, the news will only report what they want you to see.

Answer 7

How intersting:

Perhaps you have missed all those occasions that US and Brit Forces did not fire on such places when they could have.

Problem is there are "zero" safe havens according to the Geneva Convetions.....wait you cry foul!!!!

It's a trick. All those places that you are supposed to "avoid if possible" can be fired on if someone inside is firing on you. A hospital or church/mosque/synagogue even an orphange become targets if a SAM site is set up there. The point is it is up to the other side. If they mass at or place arms at or fire from all these things they become a target....just like a 10 year old shooting an AK at you...a target!

You should try reading the Conventions (thats plural there are 2).

That's not the reason you ask though is it?

SSG US Army 73-82