Syria
524 Articles
Is Credible Vetting of the Syrian Opposition for Human Rights Abuses Possible?
Tucked inside the continuing resolution the United States Congress passed late last week was a provision to authorize the training and equipping of “moderate, vetted” elements…
Strikes in Syria: The International Law Framework
[Cross-posted at Lawfare] As is now well-known, the United States last night hit approximately 25 targets inside Syria, some of which were directed at ISIL, and some at a group…
Australia Introduces Foreign Fighter Bill on Eve of Obama Chairing UNSC Meeting on Foreign Fighters
The Australian Government introduced a proposed law on Sept. 22 aimed at preventing Australian residents from traveling abroad to join terrorist organizations. Called the Counter-Terrorism…
Remarkable statement by UN Secretary General on US Airstrikes in Syria
Were it not for the title of this post, you might never guess that it was the UN Secretary General who said this today: “I am aware that today’s strikes were not carried…
Unwilling or Unable: A Roundup of Just Security’s Debate on the Legality of Airstrikes Inside Syria
While it was only last night that the United States and five Arab nations began air strikes against ISIL and the al-Qaeda-linked Khorasan group inside Syria, Just Security has…
Congress Appropriates Funds for President to Train Syrian Opposition
This week, Congress passed a continuing resolution for the fiscal year 2015, H.J. Res. 214, with a roll call of 78-22 in the Senate and 319-108 in the House. [Text, PDF.] Section…
Sec. Kerry’s difficult defense of 2001 AUMF application to ISIL–and Senators’ Disbelief
Wednesday’s Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (SCFR) hearing on ISIL presented an opportunity for the administration to defend its theory that the use of force against ISIL…
Kaine’s Proposed AUMF Would Allow Limited Ground Combat Against ISIL
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), this morning released a draft proposal of an AUMF against the Islamic State that would authorize American ground troops to engage in limited combat in Iraq…
A Response to Jonathan Horowitz – Why Unwilling or Unable is Measured by a State’s Capacity to Act as Well as its Willingness to do so
Jonathan Horowitz responded to my earlier post and made two points about the “unable or unwilling” standard that I believe merit some clarification. Jonathan begins by agreeing…
When Institutions Fail: A Thought Experiment
[Editors’ Note: The following post is the second installment of a new feature, “Monday Reflections,” in which a different Just Security editor will take a…
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…