self-defense

Latest in self-defense

International Law: Self-Defense

Soldier Self-Defense and the Strikes in Syria

Erica Gaston Thu, Jun 22, 2017, 3:07 PM

On Tuesday, U.S. forces shot down an armed Iranian drone in southern Syria, a few days after a similarly justified strike on a Syrian aircraft that dropped a bomb near a U.S. training outpost. Combined with the U.S. decision to ramp up support to Syrian Kurds seeking to retake Raqqa, these actions could be interpreted as initial steps on the road to war with Syria.

Read more about Soldier Self-Defense and the Strikes in Syria

Readings

What Is the Extent of Self-Defense by a State?

Kenneth Anderson Sat, Apr 8, 2017, 11:24 AM

Emory University School of Law's Laurie R. Blank (who heads Emory's International Humanitarian Law Clinic) is a leading and prolific scholar and practitioner in the field of the law of armed conflict (and occasional Lawfare contributor).

Read more about What Is the Extent of Self-Defense by a State?

Brief Reviews

Perennial Issues in the International Law of the Use of Force

Kenneth Anderson Thu, Jun 23, 2016, 2:23 PM

The Oxford Handbook of the Use of Force in International Law (edited by the highly distinguished Cambridge University international law scholar Marc Weller) labors under two handicaps before ever reaching the book's content.

Read more about Perennial Issues in the International Law of the Use of Force

War Powers

Do the Strikes on al Shabaab Stretch the AUMF or The Unit Self-defense Doctrine?

Erica Gaston Fri, Mar 18, 2016, 10:00 AM

Charlie Savage’s piece on the legal basis for the March 5 U.S. strike against an al Shabaab training camp, which allegedly killed 150 fighters, raises the intriguing question of whether the AUMF has been stretched yet again, this time to justify U.S. operations against al Shabaab as a whole.

Read more about Do the Strikes on al Shabaab Stretch the AUMF or The Unit Self-defense Doctrine?

Drones

Drones and the Standing Rules of Engagement Regarding Self-Defense

Herb Lin Thu, Feb 11, 2016, 8:04 PM

Within the U.S. military, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has issued an instruction (CJCSI 3121.01B) regarding “Standing Rules of Engagement”. The focus of this instruction is contained in the following paragraph titled “Inherent Right of Self-Defense.”

Read more about Drones and the Standing Rules of Engagement Regarding Self-Defense