International Law
The Parochialism of American Cosmopolitanism
Samuel Moyn Fri, Sep 15, 2017, 10:00 AM
Thoughts on cosmopolitanism and Anthea Roberts’s magisterial new book, Is International Law International?.
Latest in International Law
International Law: LOAC
The UNHRC Commission of Inquiry on Syria Misapplies the Law of Armed Conflict
Shane Reeves, Ward Narramore Fri, Sep 15, 2017, 8:30 AM
The UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry erred in its legal analysis of a U.S. airstrike in Syria.
International Law
Tentative Observations on China’s Views on International Law and Cyber Warfare
Julian Ku Sat, Aug 26, 2017, 1:00 PM
As I noted in my post yesterday, the Chinese government has declined to clarify how and whether it believes the international law governing the use of applies to cyber warfare. Its refusal to do so has drawn sharp criticism from the U.S. and other cyber powers.
Aegis Paper Series
Forcing China to Accept that International Law Restricts Cyber Warfare May Not Actually Benefit the U.S.
Julian Ku Fri, Aug 25, 2017, 12:44 PM
In a new Hoover paper, I argue that even if China agrees to apply international law to cyber warfare, that would probably not prevent or reduce the possibility of cyber conflict with the United States.
Syrian Civil War
The Reason to Worry About the Syrian “Safe Zones”
Shane Reeves Tue, Jun 27, 2017, 10:29 AM
The United States and Russia are quietly discussing establishing a so-called “safe zone” in southern Syria. But if recent events are an indicator, safe zones may not actually protect civilians.
International Law: Self-Defense
Soldier Self-Defense and the Strikes in Syria
Erica Gaston Thu, Jun 22, 2017, 3:07 PM
What an expansive conception of soldier or unit self-defense means for IHL and modern asymmetric conflict.
Climate Change and Security
While Trump Pledges Withdrawal from Paris Agreement on Climate, International Law May Provide a Safety Net
David A. Wirth Fri, Jun 2, 2017, 8:30 AM
International law, developed over centuries of interactions among nations with leaders with egos and agendas at least as large as Donald Trump’s, has evolved precisely to ensure continuity among the community of states and to moderate the effect of major disruptions such as Trump’s recent announcement. If these mechanisms are utilized as intended by both domestic and international constituencies, the planet and the climate may yet survive Trump’s frontal assault.
International Criminal Court (ICC)
The ICC’s Afghanistan Investigation: The Missing Option
Luis Moreno Ocampo Mon, Apr 24, 2017, 8:30 AM
Challenging the ICC’s jurisdiction based on the status-of-forces agreement (SOFA) that Afghanistan entered into with the US in 2002 is, in my opinion, the best US option if its goal is to avoid the ICC investigation. But no one has yet presented the SOFA to the ICC Prosecutor.
Cybersecurity and Deterrence
International Law and Deterring Cyber-Attacks
Matthew Waxman Wed, Mar 22, 2017, 12:42 PM
Thoughts on the international law dimensions of the Defense Science Board’s Task Force Report on Cyber Deterrence and Joseph Nye’s article on Deterrence and Dissuasion in Cyberspace.
International Law
Did North Korea's Use of VX Nerve Agent Violate International Law?
Benjamin Haas Fri, Mar 17, 2017, 11:00 AM
DPRK is either not a state party to various agreements that it might otherwise have violated or the agreements to which it is a state party do not apply in this case because it is not in an armed conflict with Malaysia.