Search: Syria Insta-Symposium
12 May Guest Post: Strong Words, Weak Arguments – A Response to the Open Letter to the UN on Humanitarian Access to Syria (Part 2)
...Syrian forces attacked convoys that crossed the border without consent. Without any security arrangements with the state, or communication with the government regarding entry of convoys and staff, humanitarian personnel on the ground in Syria would be operating in violation of Syrian law. Many humanitarian actors, perhaps most vocally USG Amos, have commented on the many armed groups who control and seek to control access in rebel-held areas. Should the UN announce that it was entering Syria without the consent of the government (and indeed in the face of government...07 Apr Almost Everyone Agrees that the U.S. Strikes Against Syria are Illegal, Except for Most Governments
is illegal, but it is striking how few are willing to say it is illegal. I’ve gathered a few statements and links below. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Q: Does China consider the missile strike on the Syrian airbase to be within the scope of international law? Or do you think it violates existing rules about intervention in other country’s sovereign territory? A: The Chinese side has always stood for a political settlement of the Syrian issue. Under the current circumstances, we hope all parties can keep calm, exercise restraint...14 Feb Syria and the Overlapping Consensus
...fact, the neoconservatives were paragons of modesty compared with the liberal interventionists and R2P supporters who saw in Libya and now see in Syria the chance to move one step closer to remaking the world in the image of the human rights movement. Infatuated by their own good intentions — and persuaded that their interventionist views incarnate a higher morality — those who view Libya as a triumph and Syria as an opportunity to cement the practice of humanitarian intervention are in full crusading mode. If the looming victory of...05 Apr The Syria Attacks: Haven’t We Had These Debates Already?
Rome Statute does not single out chemical weapons use alone as a crime, despite an initial proposal by drafters to do so. Finally, we held an “insta-symposium” on Syria with many great contributions from scholars, legal and non-legal, on the difficult questions raised by the Syria conflict. A list of those posts can be found here at the bottom of the first post in that symposium, from Stephanie Carvin. Hopefully, this will help all of us refresh ourselves for the great Syria intervention debate, Round II (Donald J. Trump edition)....25 Apr The Legality of President Obama’s “Red Line” on Syrian Chemical Weapons
President since, has used military force without a declaration of war and generally without authorization from Congress. Anon Recognition as the "legitimate representative of the Syrian people" is emphatically not the same as recognition as the Government of Syria. The U.S. very pointedly has not recognized a successor government to the Assad regime, in large part to make clear that Assad remains responsible for upholding Syria's international obligations with regard to nonproliferation and human rights. Jordan A short article of mine, Use of Military Force in Syria by Turkey, NATO,...23 Jan John Bellinger Responds to Julian Ku on Intervention in Syria
hands of groups hostile to U.S. interests, as happened in Libya. But I added that “As the violence in Syria increases…the president is likely to feel compelled to provide more than political support and non-lethal aid.” Julian asks at the end of his post: If one really thought international legality was so crucial, wouldn’t it be better to seek out a plausible legal theory, rather than simply rely on muddy political formulations? For instance, wouldn’t it be easier just to recognize the Syrian opposition as the government of Syria, and...17 Oct Still on that Syrian IAC
Thanks to Ryan Goodman for his thoughtful entry in our ongoing discussion about the existence of an international armed conflict (IAC) in Syria. For those just joining, I’d questioned Ryan’s analysis that an IAC exists in Syria as between Syria and the United States on the grounds that none of the three recent events Ryan cited in support for his conclusion – the putative existence of a U.S.-backed “no-fly” zone in country, the United States’ mistaken attack on Syrian forces (which the U.S. says it mistook for ISIL forces), and...
08 Dec One Year After the Fall of Assad, 1,101 Syrians Speak Out About Their Demands for Justice
been missing from formal justice debates, not because they are silent, but because meaningful nationwide consultation has been nearly impossible during years of conflict, surveillance, and fear. To correct this gap, Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), together with Syrian Centre for Legal Studies and Research and Syrians for Truth and Justice, conducted the first nationwide survey on perceptions of justice during Syria’s transition. Between July and September 2025, 1,101 Syrians from all 13 governorates participated, offering a rare, empirically grounded picture of what justice means to them after more than a...
15 Oct Is the Art. 5 Doomsday Scenario Plausible?
it means that NATO would not have to come to Turkey’s aid simply because Syria launched an armed attack against Turkey. Syria’s attack would also have to be unlawful, permitting Turkey to act in self-defense. If Turkey had to act in self-defense against a Syrian attack, NATO would indeed have to come to Turkey’s aid. But here’s the thing: barring some kind of wildly disproportionate attack on Turkey, it is very unlikely that a Syrian attack on Turkish forces would entitle Turkey to act in self-defense. And that is because,...06 May Foreign Volunteers or Foreign Fighters? The Emerging Legal Framework Governing Foreign Fighters
countries to join other groups fighting in Syria – or, for that matter, to fight alongside the Syrian government and its allies. Quite the contrary: Western states have generally taken a permissive stance vis-à-vis individuals who join the ranks of the People’s Defense Units (YPG), the Kurdish militia in Syria. For more than two years, foreigners from Australia, Canada, the United States, the UK, and other countries have joined the ranks of the YPG as “volunteers” who are, more often than not, warmly and publicly received upon their return home....