ISIS
411 Articles
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…
A Response to Bruce Ackerman’s NYT Op-Ed on the President’s War Powers
Bruce Ackerman’s Op-Ed in the New York Times today is an interesting read. In it, he makes some impassioned arguments against the President’s legal justifications for the…
Does the Unwilling/Unable Test Hang on Territorial Control?: A Response to Michael Lewis
Professor Yoram Dinstein has characterized war as something that would “appear every once in a while, leave death and devastation in its wake, and temporarily pass away to return…
International Law – and the Unwilling and Unable Test – for US Military Operations in Syria
I greatly appreciate Professor Mike Lewis’s contribution to our discussion of international law on potential US airstrikes inside Syria. In this post, I reply to Mike’s concerns…
What Does the “Unwilling or Unable” Standard Mean in the Context of Syria?
[Editor’s note: Ryan Goodman responds to Professor Lewis in a subsequent post. See also a response by Jonathan Horowitz] President Obama has now announced his intentions to carry…
The Bells of September
This September 11th, I traveled with my little boy down the tree-lined beauty of Savannah to Reynolds Square where, amidst the draped Spanish Moss, historic Christ Church rang…
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.…
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…
Guardian Previews Discussions of ISIS at Thursday’s NATO Summit
Ewen MacAskill and Spencer Ackerman of The Guardian have an excellent preview of the NATO summit, beginning tomorrow in Wales. Of note, the authors provide details on the discussions…
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…
Harold Koh on the International and Domestic Legal Options for Containing ISIL
Just Security’s Harold Koh has a must-read piece in Politico, analyzing the legal and policy choices for the President to confront ISIL. Harold stakes out several important…