Iraq
265 Articles
Obama’s ISIL Legal Rollout: Bungled, Clearly. But Illegal? Really?
Editors’ Note: The following post is the fourth installment of a new feature, “Monday Reflections,” in which a different Just Security editor will take a…
Having Crossed the Rubicon: Arming and Training Syrian Rebels
Significant public discussion has focused on whether airstrikes against ISIL in Syria violate the international legal prohibition on the use of force. Remarkably what has largely…
ISIL as an Insurgency and a Terrorist Threat
Yesterday, I posted four preliminary observations about the campaign against ISIL. My fourth observation emphasized the point that the United States-led efforts against ISIL must…
UK High Court Hears Case of Pakistani Held for a Decade Without Charges by UK and US
On Sept. 23, the United Kingdom High Court began its three-day hearing of a case involving the alleged kidnapping, torture, detention, and subsequent rendition of Pakistani citizen…
Sec. Kerry’s difficult defense of 2001 AUMF application to ISIL–and Senators’ Disbelief
Wednesday’s Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (SCFR) hearing on ISIL presented an opportunity for the administration to defend its theory that the use of force against ISIL…
Kaine’s Proposed AUMF Would Allow Limited Ground Combat Against ISIL
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), this morning released a draft proposal of an AUMF against the Islamic State that would authorize American ground troops to engage in limited combat in Iraq…
White House Relies on 2002 Iraq Authorization—But What’s the Theory?
The New York Times’ Charlie Savage reports that the White House is relying not only on the 2001 authorization to use military force (the Sept 11th AUMF) but also the 2002 authorization…
The Coming Congressional “Authorization” to Use Force Against ISIL?
Many commentators and news outlets are focused on whether the White House will seek, or Congress will pass, authorization for the President to use military force against ISIL.…
The War Powers Clock(s) in Iraq
Jack Goldsmith has a very helpful post up on Lawfare, explaining that the President had issued three separate War Powers notifications to Congress over the past month with respect…
Whose Hype are You Going to Believe?: How Not to Evaluate the ISIL Threat to the U.S.
On Friday, Peter Bergen and David Sterman wrote an article for CNN Opinion entitled, “ISIS Threat to U.S. Mostly Hype.” (Bergen is also CNN’s national security analyst.)…
The Guns of September
[Editors’ Note: The following post is the first installment of a new feature, “Monday Reflections,” in which a different Just Security editor will take a longer…
ISIL = Genocide?
As we have discussed, the United States has launched further military action in Iraq. These operations follow limited airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant…