Recent Articles
Paying Attention to Land Rights in Syria Negotiations
As President Donald Trump ponders his response to yet another chemical weapons attack in Syria, advisers and commentators alike are mired in short-term calculations. But one day…
The Early Edition: April 12, 2018
Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here. Before the start of business, Just Security provides a curated summary of up-to-the-minute developments at home and abroad.…
Does Congress Really Think It’s Reasserting Its War Powers by Giving Them Away to Trump?
Bipartisan efforts to address the problematic status quo should be applauded. But without significant changes to what is reportedly in the latest proposed AUMF, the new authorization…
The High Hurdle for Aiding and Abetting Unlawful Attacks in Yemen
This is piece is the the latest article in our forum on the Yemen crisis and the law. The Alien Torts Statute (ATS), a jurisdictional statute that allows non-U.S. citizens to…
‘I Won’t Torture’ is Not Enough: Question Pompeo on US Rendition Policy
Numerous concerns have been raised about Mike Pompeo, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of state. Though the US Senate confirmed him as the Central Intelligence Agency…
Can Bolton Actually Deliver an America First National Security Policy?
In his first week as National Security Advisor, John Bolton has walked into the first of what will be countless crises over the course of his tenure: whether to strike Syria in…
The Early Edition: April 11, 2018
SYRIA “Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’” President Trump said in…
Once again: Trump Can’t–and Therefore (probably) Won’t–Remove Mueller
Lederman writes that the President does not have the legal authority to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, based on a over a hundred years of Supreme Court precedent and reflected…
The Downsides of Bombing Syria
Air strikes would raise very serious legal and practical concerns.
Official Immunity Under the Rome Statute: The Path From Principle to Practice Is Seldom Straight
Just Security is pleased to launch this online symposium–spearheaded by Professor Laura Dickinson–which is focused on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe…
Evidence Unsealed in Colvin v. Syria
Media are reporting another chemical weapon attack in Syria (a summary of prior attacks is here). Notwithstanding these breaches of an indisputable international law rule, there…
Syria, Chemical Weapons, and a Qualitative Threshold for Humanitarian Intervention
An improved legal framework using a qualitative threshold—legitimizing humanitarian intervention against regimes that use chemical and biological weapons (CBW) on civilians—can…