Syria
544 Articles
Apples and Oranges–Obama’s and Trump’s Plans to Strike Syria for Chem Weapons Use
One of the most important policy and legal questions moving forward is whether the Trump administration needs to seek congressional approval for military strikes in response to…
(Apparent) Administration Justifications for Legality of Strikes Against Syria
[Cross-posted at Take Care] The following document has begun to circulate outside the government. It is said to have been developed within the Administration. I have not confirmed,…
The Use of Force in Response to Syrian Chemical Attacks: Emergence of a New Norm?
The April 6 cruise missile strikes against Syria in response to its chemical weapon attacks on Khan Sheikhoun have generated considerable commentary on Just Security and elsewhere. …
What Do Top Legal Experts Say About the Syria Strikes?
I asked several of the very top legal minds about their views concerning Thursday night’s airstrikes by the United States in response to the Syrian government’s reported…
Not Illegal: But Now The Hard Part Begins
I am no fan of the Trump Administration, which in its short life has attempted many illegal acts. But neither do I automatically conclude that everything it does is illegal, as…
Humanitarian Military Options for Syrian Chemical Weapons Attack: “Illegal but Not Unprecedented”
Without Security Council authorization, any U.S. military force to respond to Assad’s chemical weapons attack would be a violation of international law, but … Policymakers…
Questions Raised by Syria’s Chemical Weapons Attack
Details are still emerging about Tuesday’s chemical weapons attack in Khan Sheikhoun in northern Syria, but the US, France and Britain have already condemned the Syrian government…
The Importance of Protecting Civilians—Through Law, Strategy, and Tactics
The spate of allegations of civilian deaths as a result of US operations in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen over the last few weeks has garnered significant interest from humanitarian groups…
ISIS Tactic of “Baiting” US-Coalition to Kill Civilians–and who bears responsibility
Many are searching for an explanation for the recent spike in civilian casualties resulting from coalition operations in Iraq and Syria, including specific incidents which have…
Shaky Legal Grounds: Syria Demands US Assault on Raqqa Must Work with Assad’s Forces
On Friday, Syria’s Ambassador to the United Nations stated that a U.S.-backed assault on ISIL’s capital city of Raqqa would be illegitimate unless militarily coordinated…
What Explains the Rise in Civilian Casualties in US Military Ops–Iraq, Syria and Elsewhere
Last Friday, several news outlets reported that perhaps as many as 200 civilians had been killed in a recent U.S. airstrike in Mosul in northern Iraq, where the U.S. is participating…
EXCLUSIVE: Trump Administration Fact Sheets on New Executive Order Banning Travel to the US
Just Security has obtained two documents prepared by the Trump administration to help explain its revised travel ban executive order, which President Donald Trump signed Monday.…