OK,

I am going out on a limb. The question I am looking into is simple: "Do restrictive rules of engagement that require Soldiers to make a determination to kill the enemy based on 'threatening acts' shift responsibility for killing an enemy from the State, who normally identifies an enemy by uniform or nationality, to the Soldier, who must make that determination on his or her own?"

The question ties into my own definition of war, which involves the morally sanctioned murder of members of an "out-group." In essence, the population of one "in-group," morally sanctions the murder of an "out-group" based on some idea of justice or revenge. In modern parlance, one nation morally sanctions the murder of members of the military of another nation. In doing this, the Nation defines the enemy who may be killed. This makes killing psychologically simple. However, when the responsibility for determining who the enemy is, who can be killed, is shifted to the Soldier, then the responsibility for killing falls directly on the Soldier.

What I am looking for is papers or books related to the need of an Army to dehumanize the enemy in order to make killing easier. Also, anything on how Soldiers rationalize killing in their own minds.

Any citations will do. I will find the resources on my own.

Thanks