Search: Syria Insta-Symposium
20 Feb Tertium datur: A Step Towards Squaring the Circle on the Current Meaning of Self-defence?
...of the territory of Syria and Iraq has been admitted by the Security Council (Resolution 2179), governments (see, for instance, Germany, S/2015/946; Belgium, S/2016/523) and scholars (such as Chaumette and Corten). There is however a strong resistance to assimilate ISIS to a subject of international law. Nonetheless, it has been argued with regard to non-recognized States that “[a]n international wrongful act does not prevent the creation of a State which is a question of fact, and a State which exists in fact attains its legal status solely on the basis...11 Feb “Victory is Not an Option”: General Odom’s Op-Ed
Matthew Gross I don't see any point in attempting to negotiate with Iran or Syria. They are our enemies and care only to negotiate in so much as it gives them time to build a stronger position. Time is on there side, and not on ours, unless we are hoping for a technological revolution to remove the primacy of oil. Chris Borgen That oversimplifies things, somewhat. I am not sure if you are implying we should actually go to war with Iran, but I'll use your comment as a launching...
09 May Jurisdiction in Palestine: What the ICC Prosecutor Did Not Say in Her Response …
...is through negotiation. The ICC therefore does not have jurisdiction over these areas on the ground that they are the territory of the “State of Palestine”, even if this “State” exists and is a party to the Rome Statute. The main steps of this argument are as follows: Until 1917 the Ottoman Empire was the sovereign of large territories in the Middle East including Palestine, which was then regarded as a southern part of Syria. The Ottoman Empire joined the central powers fighting against Britain and its allies in the...22 Nov Overcoming the Veto to Save Lives
[Mona Ali Khalil is an internationally recognized public international lawyer with 25 years of UN and other experience dealing with the rule of law and international peace and security efforts including peacekeeping, sanctions, disarmament and counterterrorism.] In the face of a veto by any permanent member of the UN Security Council blocking enforcement action against the mass atrocities in Palestine, Myanmar, Syria and Yemen and elsewhere, is the international community helpless to help – failing to fulfill its responsibility to protect? Proponents of the use of force for purposes of...28 May Weekday News Wrap: Monday, May 28, 2012
Foreign Policy in Focus reports on Europe’s immigration dilemma after the Arab Spring. IMF Chief Christine Lagarde has attracted the ire of the Greeks over her comments in a Guardian interview last week that it is payback time. The UN Security Council has condemned Syria over the massacre of at least 108 people in the city of Houla. The Syrian government denies involvement and The Telegraph reports how Syria accuses the UN and Western envoys of a “tsunami of lies” over the massacre. The UK Foreign Secretary is in Moscow...09 Aug Weekday News Wrap: Thursday, August 9, 2012
According to the UN, Afghanistan civilan deaths are down for the first time since it started counting in 2007, though officials say that this is due to an extremely harsh winter rather than improved security. The United Nations also reports that targeted killings in Afghanistan have risen 53%. Ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair has expressed his deep concern that the UK will leave the European Union in a referendum. In other statements from former heads of state, France’s Nicholas Sarkozy has called for a humanitarian intervention in Syria. Syrian troops...14 Oct Carsten Stahn Guest Post: On Intervention, Narratives of Progress, Threats of force and the Virtues of Case-by-Case Assessment–A Rejoinder to Koh (Part III)
...ripe for this. There may simply not be enough trust in proper handling. 2. The relationship between threat of force and use of force What is the role of the Syrian precedent in this context? Koh is right to claim that Syria produced some positive spin-offs. But is there a need to change the rule because of these effects? I am not convinced. In any legal system, there are cases in which illegal conduct may sometimes produce good results. But this does not necessarily mean that one has to abolish...16 Aug Weekday News Wrap: Thursday, August 16, 2012
Militants have attacked Pakistan’s nuclear air base which houses US F-16 fighters and about 100 nuclear warheads. The Organization on Islamic Co-operation has suspended Syria over the violent repression of the political protests, although there was no support for an external military intervention. A political and media advisor to Syria’s Assad is visiting Beijing where she has praised China and Russia for not being colonizers. A UN Independent Commission of Inquiry has concluded that both sides in the Syrian conflict have committed war crimes throughout the conflict, and bear responsibility...