Practice Relating to Rule 140. The Principle of Reciprocity
The Report on the Practice of Iraq states: “For the activities which constitute a violation of human rights or the humanitarian law, this can never be reciprocated.” The report cites a speech by the Iraqi President during the Iran–Iraq War, in which he declared: “We do not react in the same way despite the bitterness of their behaviour. We stick to our values and let them stick to their methods, and as a result, history will record our special known values and record their heinous methods.”