Syria
524 Articles
It’s Time to do Something About Syria’s Other Chemical Weapons
With all eyes on ISIS, concerns about Syria’s chemical weapons program have faded from public view. But recent confirmation of the use of chlorine gas in Syria and the discovery…
The Wrong (and Right) Lessons Re: Congressional Inaction on ISIL
Editors’ Note: The following post is the fifth installment of a new feature, “Monday Reflections,” in which a different Just Security editor will take an…
Assessing the Claim that ISIL is a Successor to Al Qaeda—Part 2 (Organizational Goals)
The key question we are asking in this (two-part) series of posts is whether Congress’ 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) applies to ISIL. More precisely, we…
Sustaining the War Effort: Targeting Islamic State Oil Facilities
Much of the legal analysis about the United States and its coalition partners’ airstrikes in Syria to date has concentrated on whether such strikes are lawful. The commencement…
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…
French Prime Minister’s Statement on Action Against ISIL
On Wednesday, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls addressed the Assemblée Nationale regarding France’s actions against ISIL (“Daech” in French). Valls called ISIL a “double…
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…
Full Text: House of Commons Motion on ISIS for Debate Tomorrow and Accompanying Summary of the Legal Position
The following motion, for the House of Commons debate tomorrow, was agreed at today’s Cabinet meeting. That this House: Condemns the barbaric acts of ISIL against the peoples…
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…
Australia, France, Netherlands Express Legal Reservations about Airstrikes in Syria [Updated]
In his speech before the United Nations on Wednesday, President Obama stated that “over 40 nations have offered to join this coalition” to dismantle the Islamic State of Iraq…
Four Key Observations About the Campaign Against ISIL
After the United States and a five-member Arab coalition launched the first strikes against ISIL, I’d like to offer four preliminary observations: 1. We should be conservative…
Now is the Time to Think About Detentions with ISIL: A Response to Benjamin Wittes
Over at Lawfare, Ben Wittes shrugs off Jeff Stein’s important question,“What Will U.S. Forces Do With ISIS Prisoners?” Ben’s reaction, I believe, minimizes several important…