Use of Force
174 Articles
The Humanity of Michael Ratner, The Fabrications of Samuel Moyn
Joseph Margulies and Baher Azmy write to set the record straight.
Team of Legal Gladiators? Iraqi Militias’ Tortured Relationship with Law
The country's Iran-backed militias are not law-abiding, but they know Iraqis care about rule of law and have adopted the law as a battlespace.
Self-Defense Against Non-State Actors: All Over the Map
Insights from UN Security Council Arria-Formula Meeting
Legally Sliding into War
"We need to grapple with the legal mechanisms through which presidential administration after administration has legally justified escalating, elongating, and expanding conflicts…
Germany’s Positions on International Law in Cyberspace Part II
Germany issues major statement on use of force and International Humanitarian Law in cyberspace, analyzed here by leading expert Professor Michael Schmitt.
Knowns and Unknowns of US Syria Strike: Looming Int’l and Domestic Law Issues
Key legal questions that remain unanswered about the legality of the Syria strike under domestic and international law.
Legal Questions (and Some Answers) Concerning the U.S. Military Strike in Syria
Unpacking the right of self-defense under international law when it comes to use of force in response to a series of attacks.
Biden’s First Strike and the International Law of Self-Defense
The U.S. airstrikes taken on Friday in Syria almost certainly violated international law, for two basic reasons.
To End the Forever Wars, Rein in the Drones
In drawing down the U.S. conventional military footprint, policymakers should resist relying reflexively on drone strikes in its place. Biden has a unique opportunity to chart…
The Definition of Aggression and Self-Defense
Exactly forty-six years ago, on December 14, 1974, the United Nations General Assembly adopted, by consensus, the Definition of Aggression, “the most serious and dangerous form…
COVID-19 and International Law Series: Vaccine Theft, Disinformation, the Law Governing Cyber Operations
Ongoing cyberattacks on vaccine production and distribution systems, such as those discovered by IBM yesterday, may threaten efforts to fight COVID-19. But do they break international…
Revisiting the Office of Legal Counsel’s Override Opinion
A critical analysis of 1989 OLC Opinion that would allow President to use force in violation of UN Charter and without Congressional support.