Tag Archives: Syria

A Legal Analysis of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s Trip to Syria

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) has drawn attention in recent weeks for leading a delegation to Syria and Lebanon, where she reportedly met with government leaders, refugees, and members of civil society. The stated purposes were to engage in fact-finding and … Continue reading

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Syria and the Arms Trade Treaty

In this post, I want to evaluate the link between two contemporary foreign policy issues that are generally viewed as unrelated. The first is ongoing U.S. military assistance to Syrian rebels. As Reuters reported last week, the United States is … Continue reading

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Video: Chemical Weapons in International Law

I recently appeared on International Focus, a local public television program that covers current events in international affairs. The host and I talked about legal issues related to the use of chemical weapons, including historical efforts to prohibit use, some of … Continue reading

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The U.S. also Violates an International Norm Against Chemical Weapons

Lost in the ongoing debate about Syria is a rather startling irony: while the Administration argues that intervention is necessary to enforce global norms against chemical weapons, the United States stands in material breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention, the … Continue reading

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A Few Points on Syria

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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Will NATO Membership Draw the U.S. into the Syrian Conflict?

Military tensions between Syria and Turkey have risen dramatically in the last two days. After shooting down a Turkish fighter jet in June, Syrian government forces reportedly fired into Turkish territory and killed five civilians yesterday. Turkey has responded by … Continue reading

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The Self-Defense Argument for Intervention in Syria

News media are reporting today that the strife in Syria has, for the first time, spilled across international borders, with Syrian government forces firing into Turkey last night, killing two people and injuring three others, and also firing into Lebanon. The New … Continue reading

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Syrian Culpability for Crimes Against Humanity

Like a handful of other states in the Middle East, Syria has experienced significant domestic political turmoil in recent months, with a sizable and seemingly increasing percentage of its population openly protesting against the autocratic government of Bashar al-Assad. The … Continue reading

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