Jus ad Bellum
159 Articles
UPDATE: Mapping States’ Reactions to the Syria Strikes of April 2018
Fifty percent more states are added to this database on global reactions to the US, UK, France strikes on Syria last month. What were the international community's true views on…
Mapping States’ Reactions to the U.S. Strikes Against Syria of April 2018–A Comprehensive Guide
[First version, May 7, 2018 with 79 States and 2 intergovernmental organizations] This is the permanent page for the Mapping States’ Reactions to the Syria Strikes of April 2018…
Mapping States’ Reactions to the Syria Strikes of April 2018
Statements, Chart, and Map for every state in the world that has taken a public position on the legality and justification of strikes in Syria conducted by the US, UK, and France.
If Mattis Meant to Assert Self-Defense for the Syria Strike, He Was Wrong
Since the United States conducted a military strike on various targets associated with the Syrian government’s chemical weapons program last week, prominent voices in the legal…
The Legality of Using Force to Deter Chemical Warfare
We should not be asking whether the missile strikes against Syria's chemical weapons program represent a lawful humanitarian intervention. Instead, we should be asking if – and…
The Real “Red Line” Behind Trump’s April 2018 Syria Strikes
Former State Department Legal Adviser Harold Koh writes that strikes on Syria could be legal, but key unanswered factual questions remain about April's operation. What's also missing…
When Does the Legal Basis for U.S. Forces in Syria Expire?
The State Department announced earlier this year that the “full and complete defeat of ISIS” is a necessary condition for ending U.S. military operations in Syria. But Senators…
Recent Israeli Strikes on Syria and the Prohibition on the Unilateral Use of Force
An Israeli F-16 jet takes off on December 9, 2014 at the Ovda airbase in the Negev Desert near Eilat, southern Israel. (Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images) On Tuesday, January 9, Israel…
The Important Legal Questions Regarding the Now-Shuttered “Covert” Program to Arm Syrian Rebels
Mark Mazzetti, Adam Goldman and Michael Schmidt report: The end came quickly for one of the costliest covert action programs in the history of the C.I.A. During a White House briefing…
Fragmented Wars: International Law and Multi-Territorial Conflict Against Non-State Armed Groups
The legal issues surrounding military operations against non-State armed groups abroad are continuing to generate policy and legal debates. In an article just published in International…
On the Precipice: The U.S. and Russia in Syria
A Russian air force Su-30 fighter jet in Syria. The United States and Russia have entered a new and dangerous moment. On Sunday, a U.S. fighter jet shot down a Syrian warplane.…
About that “Deconfliction Zone” in Syria: Is the United States on Firm Domestic and International Legal Footing?
The U.S. military has at least three times in recent weeks engaged in hostilities against pro-Syrian regime forces near the At Tanf garrison in southern Syria and shot down a pro-regime…