Author Archives: Ryan Scoville

A Few Points on Syria

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Ryan Scoville

So many people have written about the looming Syria intervention that it’s hard to add much to the conversion, but I’d like to make a few quick points. First, regardless of what happens, international law has been a (surprisingly?) big … Continue reading →

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Litigation Over the U.S. Role in the Iranian Coup

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Ryan Scoville

Yesterday Iran’s parliament approved a bill requiring the Iranian government to sue the United States in international court for orchestrating the 1953 coup against Mohammad Mosaddegh. Given the timing, I’m guessing that the National Security Archive prompted this move by … Continue reading →

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Sexual Minorities Uganda v. Lively

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Ryan Scoville

Last week a federal district court in Massachusetts issued a somewhat surprising opinion on the Alien Tort Statute. The plaintiff alleged that a U.S. citizen named Scott Lively committed crimes against humanity by engaging in anti-gay advocacy in Uganda, including … Continue reading →

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Egypt & the Take Care Clause

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Ryan Scoville

In the course of recent debates over how to respond to the events in Egypt, many have pointed out that the central legal question is whether Section 508 of the Foreign Assistance Act obligates the President to cancel hundreds of … Continue reading →

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A Response to the Bolton & Yoo Op-ed on the Arms Trade Treaty

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Ryan Scoville

A few months ago John Bolton and John Yoo published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal criticizing the Obama Administration for promoting U.S. ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty, which the UN General Assembly adopted in April. The op-ed argues that … Continue reading →

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A Comment on the Future of the Senkaku / Diaoyu Dispute

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Ryan Scoville

James Holmes from the Naval War College posted a good article at Foreign Policy on the growing strength of the Chinese navy. He acknowledges limits to the force’s current capabilities and a number of unknowns about the potency of its armaments and … Continue reading →

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Japan’s Vulnerability Under the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Ryan Scoville

Many have noted that the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security could pull the United States into the dispute between Japan and China over the Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands by obligating the United States to come to Japan’s defense … Continue reading →

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New Paper on the Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands Dispute

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Ryan Scoville

I posted a new essay on the dispute between Japan and China concerning sovereignty over the Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands. Here’s the abstract: Legal analyses on the sovereignty dispute over the Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands have been unfavorable to Japan. The literature … Continue reading →

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A Response to the Claim of Chinese Sovereignty Over Okinawa

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Ryan Scoville

According to recent news reports, a growing group of Chinese officials and scholars has commenced a semiofficial campaign to challenge Japanese sovereignty over Okinawa. This is of course in addition to the widely publicized Chinese efforts to challenge Japanese control over … Continue reading →

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The Decentralization of American Diplomacy

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Ryan Scoville

The Atlantic has a good article out right now on mayoral participation in global diplomacy. According to the authors, the practice is increasingly common and ambitious. Mayors of large cities have taken on issues ranging from global warming to nuclear disarmament, to … Continue reading →

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