Terrorism
Where Will the Islamic State Go Next?
Daniel Byman Fri, Jun 22, 2018, 9:00 AM
The group has gone underground. It’s time to think about where it might show up next.
Latest in Syria
Biological and Chemical Weapons
Document: Office of Legal Counsel Memo on April 2018 Syria Strikes
Matthew Kahn Fri, Jun 1, 2018, 12:09 PM
On Thursday, the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel issued the following memorandum opinion on the April 2018 U.S. airstrikes against three Syrian chemical-weapons facilities.
International Law
The Trump Administration Should Do More to Explain the Legal Basis for the Syrian Airstrikes
John Bellinger Sat, Apr 14, 2018, 4:46 PM
When the United States uses military force, especially under controversial circumstances, it should explain the legal basis for its actions.
War Powers
Bad Legal Arguments for the Syria Airstrikes
Jack Goldsmith, Oona Hathaway Sat, Apr 14, 2018, 1:54 PM
There is no apparent domestic or international legal authority for the airstrikes conducted in Syria on April 14.
Executive Power
Transcript: President Trump's Remarks on Syria Airstrikes
Quinta Jurecic Fri, Apr 13, 2018, 9:55 PM
Below is a transcript of President Trump's remarks announcing airstrikes in Syria this evening. The government has also released an assessment of the use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, also included below.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release April 13, 2018
International Law: Self-Defense
The Al-Kibar Strike: What a Difference 26 Years Make
Elena Chachko Mon, Apr 2, 2018, 7:00 AM
Israel has officially acknowledged a September 2007 strike that destroyed the Al-Kibar nuclear reactor in Syria. The operation is a data point on state practice on preemptive self-defense against nuclear threats.
Syria
Russia Stumbles in the Fog of Syrian War
Pavel K. Baev Fri, Mar 2, 2018, 9:00 AM
Is Russia losing control of the war in Syria?
Executive Power
Summary: Lawsuit to Release the Legal Justification of Syria Airstrikes
Chris Mirasola Wed, Feb 14, 2018, 3:53 PM
Nearly one year after the Trump administration's April 2017 strike in Syria, Protect Democracy is still suing for public release of the legal justification behind the strike.
Syrian Civil War
Iran and Israel Face off in Syria, as If It Wasn’t Complicated Enough
Dror Michman, Yael Mizrahi-Arnaud Wed, Feb 14, 2018, 11:02 AM
Making sense of the latest clash in Syria's complex civil war.
Executive Power
Documents: FOIA Suit on the Legal Basis of Syrian Airstrikes
Quinta Jurecic Fri, Feb 9, 2018, 2:28 PM
In May 2017, the nonprofit Protect Democracy filed suit under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the Trump administration's legal justification behind the U.S. airstrikes in Syria during April of that year. The litigation produced proof of a seven-page legal memo analyzing the legal basis for the strikes, which the Justice Department has not yet released.