Syria
553 Articles
Bringing the AUMF Debate Back to its Constitutional Roots, and Recent History
A U.S. Army howitzer firing at Islamic State positions in Iraq in 2016. Last Friday, Rita Siemion published an insightful analysis of the Trump Administration’s first meaningful…
Rape as a Tactic of Terror: Holding the Islamic State Accountable
Earlier this year, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney spoke at the United Nations to press the global body to hold the Islamic State accountable for rape and other crimes committed…
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…
Lessons From Mosul: How to Reduce Civilian Harm in Urban Warfare
Fighting in densely populated areas poses a number of significant challenges to forces trying to adhere to the rules that govern warfare. Even assuming that international humanitarian…
Letter to the Editor: There Is Much More to a Civilian Casualty Investigation than Eyewitness Accounts
I applaud and agree with Sarah Knuckey’s, Ole Solvang’s, Jonathan Horowitz’s and Radhya Almutawakel’s recent post (“Pentagon Admits Major Investigation Flaw: imeshey…
Pentagon Admits Major Investigation Flaw: They Rarely Talk to Air Strike Witnesses or Victims
In a transcript of a Pentagon Press Briefing, released this week by Airwars, Central Command’s Deputy Director for Operations made a striking admission about U.S. investigations…
Safe Zones – Only Ever a Temporary Fix When Nothing Else Is Available
Fleeing a conflict zone is dangerous. The route to safety, to a country where a refugee can obtain protection, can be deadly. Over 3,700 people died trying cross the Mediterranean…
A Clash in Syria Could Jeopardize the Iran Nuclear Deal and More
As the Trump administration enters its sixth month, fears that it would unilaterally rip up its predecessor’s landmark Iran nuclear agreement are beginning to fade. But the chances…
Tillerson’s “Peaceful” Regime Change for Iran: Really? And What Comes Next?
At this point in our internecine political discourse, it is increasingly rare for foreign policy stories to survive more than a single news cycle unless they involve Russia. …
Congress’s 2001 AUMF as Legal Basis for US Shootdown of Syrian Jet
It is not that much of a stretch to say that Congress’s 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) provides a legal basis for the U.S. shootdown of a Syrian jet,…
Timeline of Escalation in Syria: U.S. vs. Iran, Russia, Syria and “Pro-Regime” Forces post January 20, 2017
April 4: Chemical attack A rocket laced with the nerve agent sarin kills more than 80 civilians in Khan Shaykhun in the rebel-held Idlib province. The attack is attributed to the…
America’s AUMF Problem: Tomorrow’s Senate Hearing and a New Proposal from Eliot Engel
Events over the last several weeks show that not only is the AUMF issue not going away, but that Congress continues to inch closer to agreement. This Tuesday, the Senate Foreign…