In accordance with the Geneva convention of 1949, it could be recall that certain rules were put in place to checkmate the atrocities committed or likely to be committed during war, some of those rules includes.
1: Fair treatment of prisoner's of war.
2: The protection of unarmed civilians in times of war.
"Persons taking no active part in the
hostilities , including members of armed forces
who have laid down their arms and those
placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds ,
detention , or any other cause, shall in all
circumstances be treated humanely, without
any adverse distinction founded on race, colour,
religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any
other similar criteria. To this end, the following
acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time
and in any place whatsoever with respect to the
above-mentioned persons:
violence to life and person, in particular
murder of all kinds, mutilation , cruel
treatment and torture ;
taking of hostages ;
outrages upon dignity, in particular
humiliating and degrading treatment; and
the passing of sentences and the carrying
out of executions without previous judgment
pronounced by a regularly constituted court,
affording all the judicial guarantees which are
recognized as indispensable by civilized
peoples".
But American soldiers have committed so many atrocities in wars they have engaged in.
During the Vietnam war, there were reports of how US soldiers round up unarmed Vietnamese villagers, rapped the women and slaughtered innocent citizens in large numbers and no US soldier was made to face judgment. I have seen it in Aljazera News of how some US air raid destroyed and killed unarmed Iraqi civilians with women and children among them, yet no US military officer has been brought out to face the ICJ for violation of the geneval convention.