Search: Syria Insta-Symposium
15 Jun Israel’s Idea of an “Independent” Inquiry into the Attack on the Flotilla
...on their behalves that Israel broke the law. Was Israel? Was Israel wrong? Frankly, if I was Israel, given the hypocrisy of countries like Turkey and the UN calling for an independent investigation into violations of the law and the manner in which this country typically is treated, I wouldn't care one whit. Really, if the world thinks countries like Libya, Syria or Iran belong on an international organ like the Human Rights Commission, where is the even semblance of respect for international laws??? Kevin Jon Heller Elliot, Hmm, last...07 Aug Does it Matter if a Ceasefire Violates International Legal Principles?
...no claims to it before 2000, and those claims are not taken seriously by anyone; the U.N. in 2000 even stated that some of Lebanon's proffered "evidence" was forged. The only real ownership dispute is between Israel and Syria. (The land lies at the intersection of Israel, Lebanon and Syria.) Peggy McGuinness EK-- My comments were meant to capture the historical realities of peace agreements. I am not sure it is any more a "defeat" of international law when parties agree to settle wars than it is a defeat for...30 Jul Guest Post: Israel’s Use of Law and Warnings in Gaza
...think your analysis misses a substantive element of the balance between the ability to conduct military operations and the duty to minimize civilian casualties. Mostly, I am having a difficult time with your argument that civilians have no duty to leave a mixed use civilian-combatant target even after they have been warned that it will be targeted in the near future for attack. In instances where the civilians have no free will (held at gun-point by Hamas) you may have a point (though then we have a host of other...13 May Planning for Detention
Picking up on Jens’ post about the Administration’s apparent lack of plans for holding detainees picked up in Iraq/Syria, I too found the Times report troubling. In part I suspect it was because I was immediately reminded of one of the findings of the many Pentagon investigative reports issued after the revelations of torture at Abu Ghraib and other U.S. detention facilities in Iraq. All apart from criticisms of changes in policy and legal interpretation, some of the harshest blame for the widespread nature of the abuse was the total...
13 Dec Symposium: Review of John Heieck, A Duty to Prevent Genocide
...the consistent case law adopting a narrow interpretation of the crime there is a broader use of the term, by NGOs, by journalists, by politicians, and even by UN bodies. For example, recently a fact-finding commission of the Human Rights Council suggested that the persecution of the Rohingya could be characterized as genocide. A few years earlier, another commission of inquiry of the Council said much the same about the Yazidi in Syria. There was a time, some decades ago, where these matters were still open to debate by reasonable...24 Feb Weekly News Wrap: Monday, February 24, 2014
...US and EU for a comprehensive trade and investment pact are set to kick into higher gear, following a highly-anticipated “political stocktaking” meeting between the two sides’ top trade officials. US prosecutors plan to seek the extradition of Mexico’s most wanted man, drug cartel kingpin Joaquin “Shorty” Guzman, to face trial in the United States after he was captured in Mexico. Middle East The UN Security Council achieved rare unity to act on Syria’s civil war when Russia and China supported adoption of a resolution to boost aid access in...05 Oct Weekly News Wrap: Monday, October 5, 2015
...of the 193 members of the United Nations to rail against the International Criminal Court (ICC), which he said has become a political tool to target African leaders. Boko Haram Islamist fighters killed at least two Niger soldiers and wounded four others in an attack on a village near the Nigerian border, army officers said on Friday. Middle East and Northern Africa At least 39 civilians, including eight children and eight women, have been killed in Russian air strikes in Syria in the past four days, the Syrian Observatory for...09 Sep Peace Palace 100: Great Powers and Common People in a Century of War and Peace
...Court of Arbitration would be a forum for such peaceful settlements. Back here in The Hague, a palace to house that court was rising. Now 100 years later we honor von Suttner, and the civic activism that can move nations. It may seem strange to celebrate the centennial of the Peace Palace when today’s great powers are at odds over what to do in the face of carnage in Syria. Whether public opinion is—or even should be—taken into account in such decisions of “high politics” is also at issue. But...
29 Feb Charting a Pathway to Resolving Conflicts through Harmony and Mediation: Chinese Approach to International Conflict Management
...peacemaker in conflicts and crises in regions such as Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. The pursuit of harmony and mutual cooperation has found resonance among countries with Islamic interpretations as their guiding principles. For them, the concept of harmony is not foreign, but rather a cherished value deeply embedded within Islamic thought and tradition. From Islamic perspectives, harmony serves as essential building blocks in establishing harmonious relationships among all people—Muslim and non-Muslim alike—in the contemporary period. However, China’s influence in the transnational legal order is frequently disregarded...