Is Dr. Halsey a War Criminal?

Community Halo Universe
1

Dr. Catherine Halsey by all means is an excellent scientist, no one can surpass her skill in what she has done throughout the UNSC and ONI alike, but yet the UNSC brands her as a war criminal? Why?

By all means she did her job assigned to her by Margaret Parengosky and so did James Ackerson who did the exact same thing Halsey did, kidnapped children, but in the case of the Spartan III’s, they volunteered and were orphaned during the war.

The only thing Dr. Halsey did wrong was clone the children and sent them back home to there parents so they wouldn’t have to worry about there kid, but that ended up failing in terms of Daisy and Naomi respectively, Dr. Halsey by all means was giving back to the parents that ONI stole from them, albeit a much more weaker version of their child that ended up dying of disease of some sort.

But was that REALLY something to brand Dr. Halsey a War Criminal?

She did her job as she was instructed, but in the end ONI needed a fall back plan when the Spartan Program came to light, yet never mentions the Spartan III Program to anyone because of what it may do to ONI’s image.

Everyone within the UNSC knows ONI is shady, so why not question why Dr. Halsey was placed as a War Criminal in the first place, they could have just said to the public that she was dead, and that’s what they did on Earth in New Mombasa’s ONI Alpha Site.

Yet ALL of the UNSC and the crew of the Infinity treat her like she is some sort of genocidal maniac, just look at Halsey now, she looks miserable, she lost her daughter and the man she actually loved and Halsey has been known to love her “children” and that emotional response to clone the children to give back to the families was a good choice in my opinion, instead of parents worrying that there child was kidnapped or worse, they were given closure in a way save for Naomi’s father.

So what do you guys think?

Is Dr. Halsey a War Criminal or not?

~Verses Fatum

2

Sure it is evil to kiddap young 6 year old childs, genemanipulate them and make them to supersoldiers but so is Einsteins atombomb and he is no war criminal.
But except for Einsteins bomb… Dr.Halseys Spartans helped us humans against rebels at first and later against the covenant and through her Spartan 2 program we also got Spartan 3 and Spartan 4, made from others.

3

Whether or not it was morally wrong by definition yes. She broke laws and was arrested. Someone who breaks laws is a criminal. Not saying it was the right decision story wise, but yes she is a war criminal by definition.

Also she kinda manipulated Blue Team into getting sent to Onyx which, while it made for a great story, was strategically worthless. She literally crippled the UNSC defense of Earth. It’s just lucky that Master Chief is such an awesome badass.

4

Catherine Halsey may not have kidnapped those children herself. However, she did submit her requirements in the search criteria for those children who would become future candidates. She personally scouted at least one of those candidates, John-117, in the days prior to their kidnapping. In these circumstances she is absolutely a criminal in the context of civilian law.

Those children she kidnapped were trained to become soldiers at age six. The recruitment, training, and deployment of children as soldiers is absolutely unacceptable both morally and legally, per Article 77, Protocol 1 of the Geneva Convention and UN Security Council resolution 1261. In the greater context, perhaps in the future, her actions in the capacity as scientific lead on the SPARTAN-II and MJOLNIR programs will be seen as crimes which were originally created to suppress rebellion against virulent imperial rule.

Yes, Dr. Catherine Halsey is a war criminal.

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> 2533274833380875;3:
> Whether or not it was morally wrong by definition yes. She broke laws and was arrested. Someone who breaks laws is a criminal. Not saying it was the right decision story wise, but yes she is a war criminal by definition.
>
> Also she kinda manipulated Blue Team into getting sent to Onyx which, while it made for a great story, was strategically worthless. She literally crippled the UNSC defense of Earth. It’s just lucky that Master Chief is such an awesome badass.

On the plus side, she lead her Spartans to Onyx and found invaluable knowledge and technology within the Shield World whether it was wrong or not.
Said Technology boosted the UNSC’s production of tech tenfold.

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> 2533274791742477;4:
> Catherine Halsey may not have kidnapped those children herself. However, she did submit her requirements in the search criteria for those children who would become future candidates. She personally scouted at least one of those candidates, John-117, in the days prior to their kidnapping. In these circumstances she is absolutely a criminal in the context of civilian law.
>
> Those children she kidnapped were trained to become soldiers at age six. The recruitment, training, and deployment of children as soldiers is absolutely unacceptable both morally and legally, per Article 77, Protocol 1 of the Geneva Convention and UN Security Council resolution 1261. In the greater context, perhaps in the future, her actions in the capacity as scientific lead on the SPARTAN-II and MJOLNIR programs will be seen as crimes which were originally created to suppress rebellion against a virulent imperial rule.
>
> Yes, Dr. Catherine Halsey is a war criminal.

This is a fair point, but she was just doing the job given to her by ONI themselves, this wasn’t a self funded program, ONI funded everything with it.
Dr. Halsey is technically ONI’s scape goat, but what she did was helpful to the UNSC overall and ended up helping end the war once an for all.
Was it wrong for the UNSC to be using these child soldiers in the war, same with the Spartan III Program, Pegasi Delta was the worst offense overall in said project because most of those Spartan III’s hadn’t even reached teenage years.

7

Technically, yes. But people tend to ignore that so is everyone in the ONI/Navy brass who were involved in commissioning her work. The S-II program wasn’t Halsey’s private enterprise and didn’t exist in a vacuum; Halsey was just a civilian adviser with no true authority over anything. If ONI decided they didn’t like her they could’ve gotten rid of her at any time.

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> 2533274848433317;7:
> Technically, yes. But people tend to ignore that so is everyone in the ONI/Navy brass who were involved in commissioning her work. The S-II program wasn’t Halsey’s private enterprise and didn’t exist in a vacuum; Halsey was just a civilian adviser with no true authority over anything. If ONI decided they didn’t like her they could’ve gotten rid of her at any time.

EXACTLY, they chose to continue the project knowing FULL WELL it was breaking many laws, that’s why I think Dr. Halsey shouldn’t be a war criminal, in fact, she’s more of a victim of chance.

James Ackersons dead but he sent out children that were between the ages of 11-15 years old, the experience being so traumatic, a child went mute (Lucy) over what happened.

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> 2533274807399716;6:
> This is a fair point, but she was just doing the job given to her by ONI themselves, this wasn’t a self funded program, ONI funded everything with it.
> Dr. Halsey is technically ONI’s scape goat, but what she did was helpful to the UNSC overall and ended up helping end the war once an for all.
> Was it wrong for the UNSC to be using these child soldiers in the war, same with the Spartan III Program, Pegasi Delta was the worst offense overall in said project because most of those Spartan III’s hadn’t even reached teenage years.

Absolutely this was a program funded and administratively controlled by the Office of Naval Intelligence. As such, Admiral Margaret Parangosky as CINCONI, those senior officers under her charge involved with covert actions and the program’s administration, and any scientists and handlers directly involved in the lives of the children are answerable to the law. The responsibility of leadership falls on the highest person and those who ultimately do the most. This precedent falls greatly upon those in the care of children as they are immature and unprotected.

It is so easy to look past the origins of the SPARTAN-II program with consideration of the Great War. Law doesn’t care about that. The war and the circumstances which followed for humanity were the result of sheer dumb luck for the perception of this supersoldier program. These children were kidnapped, conscripted at the age of six, trained in the art of war, didn’t have true consent over their augmentation, and were deployed against Humans well before they had even learned of the Covenant threat. The heroic actions of the Spartans during the Great War is not questioned, nor should it be. The illegal, immoral actions of the Office of Naval Intelligence and those officers and civilians who facilitated the SPARTAN-II program’s operations should be.

Blood, sweat, and tears win wars in the end. Keyboards, syringes, and money dictate how that victory takes shape.

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> 2533274791742477;9:
> > 2533274807399716;6:
> > This is a fair point, but she was just doing the job given to her by ONI themselves, this wasn’t a self funded program, ONI funded everything with it.
> > Dr. Halsey is technically ONI’s scape goat, but what she did was helpful to the UNSC overall and ended up helping end the war once an for all.
> > Was it wrong for the UNSC to be using these child soldiers in the war, same with the Spartan III Program, Pegasi Delta was the worst offense overall in said project because most of those Spartan III’s hadn’t even reached teenage years.
>
>
> Absolutely this was a program funded and administratively controlled by the Office of Naval Intelligence. As such, Admiral Margaret Parangosky as CINCONI, those senior officers under her charge involved with covert actions and the program’s administration, and any scientists and handlers directly involved in the lives of the children are answerable to the law. The responsibility of leadership falls on the highest person and those who ultimately do the most. This precedent falls greatly upon those in the care of children as they are immature and unprotected.
>
> It is so easy to look past the origins of the SPARTAN-II program with consideration of the Great War. Law doesn’t care about that. The war and the circumstances which followed for humanity were the result of sheer dumb luck for the perception of this supersoldier program. These children were kidnapped, conscripted at the age of six, trained in the art of war, didn’t have true consent over their augmentation, and were deployed against Humans well before they had even learned of the Covenant threat. The heroic actions of the Spartans during the Great War is not questioned, nor should it be. The illegal, immoral actions of the Office of Naval Intelligence and those officers and civilians who facilitated the SPARTAN-II program’s operations, however, should be.

Exactly, why is Dr. Halsey the only one being blamed for it, all you ever hear about in the games and books is how she’s an aweful person, the only other scientist you hear about ended up commiting suicide for what he did.

That was my one complaint with the Kilo-Five Trilogy, it was just a bunch of hate on Halsey stuff that got old pretty fast, I for one think she just did her job and ONI seeing what she was doing as illegal wasn’t stopped.

ONI just doesn’t want to be in trouble for what they did, hell, they’re going against several laws currently by going on a genecidal campaign against the Sangheili by either poisoning there food or causing a civil war.

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> 2533274807399716;10:
> Exactly, why is Dr. Halsey the only one being blamed for it, all you ever hear about in the games and books is how she’s an aweful person, the only other scientist you hear about ended up commiting suicide for what he did.
>
> That was my one complaint with the Kilo-Five Trilogy, it was just a bunch of hate on Halsey stuff that got old pretty fast, I for one think she just did her job and ONI seeing what she was doing as illegal wasn’t stopped.
>
> ONI just doesn’t want to be in trouble for what they did, hell, they’re going against several laws currently by going on a genecidal campaign against the Sangheili by either poisoning there food or causing a civil war.

I never knew what Cortana’s first words could have meant until this very moment.

“Quando il gioco è finito, il re e il pedone vanno nella stessa scatola.”

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> 2533274791742477;11:
> > 2533274807399716;10:
> > Exactly, why is Dr. Halsey the only one being blamed for it, all you ever hear about in the games and books is how she’s an aweful person, the only other scientist you hear about ended up commiting suicide for what he did.
> >
> > That was my one complaint with the Kilo-Five Trilogy, it was just a bunch of hate on Halsey stuff that got old pretty fast, I for one think she just did her job and ONI seeing what she was doing as illegal wasn’t stopped.
> >
> > ONI just doesn’t want to be in trouble for what they did, hell, they’re going against several laws currently by going on a genecidal campaign against the Sangheili by either poisoning there food or causing a civil war.
>
>
> I never knew what Cortana’s first words could have meant until this very moment.
>
> “Quando il gioco è finito, il re e il pedone vanno nella stessa scatola.”

By the end of the game, the pawn and the king go in the same box.
Right?

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> 2533274807399716;12:
> By the end of the game, the pawn and the king go in the same box.
> Right?

Precisely. I presume you know what a box could mean in this context. :stuck_out_tongue:

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> 2533274807399716;10:
> > 2533274791742477;9:
> > > 2533274807399716;6:
> > > This is a fair point, but she was just doing the job given to her by ONI themselves, this wasn’t a self funded program, ONI funded everything with it.
> > > Dr. Halsey is technically ONI’s scape goat, but what she did was helpful to the UNSC overall and ended up helping end the war once an for all.
> > > Was it wrong for the UNSC to be using these child soldiers in the war, same with the Spartan III Program, Pegasi Delta was the worst offense overall in said project because most of those Spartan III’s hadn’t even reached teenage years.
> >
> >
> >
> > Absolutely this was a program funded and administratively controlled by the Office of Naval Intelligence. As such, Admiral Margaret Parangosky as CINCONI, those senior officers under her charge involved with covert actions and the program’s administration, and any scientists and handlers directly involved in the lives of the children are answerable to the law. The responsibility of leadership falls on the highest person and those who ultimately do the most. This precedent falls greatly upon those in the care of children as they are immature and unprotected.
> >
> > It is so easy to look past the origins of the SPARTAN-II program with consideration of the Great War. Law doesn’t care about that. The war and the circumstances which followed for humanity were the result of sheer dumb luck for the perception of this supersoldier program. These children were kidnapped, conscripted at the age of six, trained in the art of war, didn’t have true consent over their augmentation, and were deployed against Humans well before they had even learned of the Covenant threat. The heroic actions of the Spartans during the Great War is not questioned, nor should it be. The illegal, immoral actions of the Office of Naval Intelligence and those officers and civilians who facilitated the SPARTAN-II program’s operations, however, should be.
>
>
> Exactly, why is Dr. Halsey the only one being blamed for it, all you ever hear about in the games and books is how she’s an aweful person, the only other scientist you hear about ended up commiting suicide for what he did.
>
> That was my one complaint with the Kilo-Five Trilogy, it was just a bunch of hate on Halsey stuff that got old pretty fast, I for one think she just did her job and ONI seeing what she was doing as illegal wasn’t stopped.
>
> ONI just doesn’t want to be in trouble for what they did, hell, they’re going against several laws currently by going on a genecidal campaign against the Sangheili by either poisoning there food or causing a civil war.

most ONI officers and agents are criminal in suits and armor.
UNSC want peace with Sangheili - ONI helps UNSC to make peace with Sangheili and at the same time they kinda attack them and made Jul 'Mdama to start a small war against UNSC

15

she saved the human race in a way but in the end her reasons were wrong and she seems like a cold, selfish person. She is a neat character but a bad person …baddddd

16

Considering Halsey a war criminal doesn’t disqualify the rest of ONI / UNSC from being treated as such too. (those involved in the Spartan program or other unethical and illegal operations) Also, “following orders” doesn’t excuse everything. Even though technically the program was almost entirely created by Halsey and she directed it, so it’s not like ONI forced her to do it. Of course, they did support it and gave her the necessary resources, which means they are also guilty. And I do like Halsey a lot, but only as a character, not as a person.

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> 2533274813930819;15:
> she saved the human race in a way but in the end her reasons were wrong and she seems like a cold, selfish person. She is a neat character but a bad person …baddddd

That’s mostly required to work in ONI I guess, but ONI could have stopped her at ANY time, even Parongosky said so, yet they didn’t

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> 2533274821753519;16:
> Considering Halsey a war criminal doesn’t disqualify the rest of ONI / UNSC from being treated as such too. (those involved in the Spartan program or other unethical and illegal operations) Also, “following orders” doesn’t excuse everything. Even though technically the program was almost entirely created by Halsey and she directed it, so it’s not like ONI forced her to do it. Of course, they did support it and gave her the necessary resources, which means they are also guilty. And I do like Halsey a lot, but only as a character, not as a person.

I agree what she was doing happened to be bad, but War Criminal bad? That’s pushing it

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> 2533274807399716;17:
> > 2533274813930819;15:
> > she saved the human race in a way but in the end her reasons were wrong and she seems like a cold, selfish person. She is a neat character but a bad person …baddddd
>
>
>
>
> That’s mostly required to work in ONI I guess, but ONI could have stopped her at ANY time, even Parongosky said so, yet they didn’t

Admiral Parangosky isn’t the one we’re trying to see the justification in labelling them as a war criminal. General consensus of the Halo community knows she is as an absolute fact. This isn’t a case of CINCONI having the ability to end the SPARTAN-II program as she desires, but instead why Dr. Catherine Halsey didn’t end her involvement the very second illegal practices came into play as an active element in its mandate. Halsey is a civilian member of a military organization, and like her military colleagues, is under no obligation to carry out illegal orders. The difference is that Halsey cannot be tried in court for disobeying her superiors. It’s as simple as a resignation letter.

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> 2533274791742477;19:
> > 2533274807399716;17:
> > > 2533274813930819;15:
> > > she saved the human race in a way but in the end her reasons were wrong and she seems like a cold, selfish person. She is a neat character but a bad person …baddddd
> >
> >
> >
> > That’s mostly required to work in ONI I guess, but ONI could have stopped her at ANY time, even Parongosky said so, yet they didn’t
>
>
> Admiral Parangosky isn’t the one we’re trying to see the justification in labelling them as a war criminal. General consensus of the Halo community knows she is as an absolute fact. This isn’t a case of CINCONI having the ability to end the SPARTAN-II program as she desires, but instead why Dr. Catherine Halsey didn’t end her involvement the very second illegal practices came into play as an active element in its mandate.

This might be a stretch, but maybe she would have ended her involvement after the Insurrection was taken care of, but then the Covenant came into play and she had to continue her work with the Mjolnir Project to help her Spartans survive these genocidal beasts of war.
also several of the scientists working for her again haven’t been listed as accomplices to the program, if anything, they got off scott free after the war while Halsey didn’t.