International Law
Exploring International Law 
A blog by the Institute for International Law and Politics which provides commentary and analysis at the intersection of international law and politics.
Post Frequency: 10/day Last Entry: February 11, 2009 at 00:45:00 Recent Entries: 371
By Anthony Arend
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NEW WEBSITE
Posted on February 11, 2009With a much help from a real expert, I am launching a new website. Check it out. Today, I am featuring two video blogs: one on Senator Leahy's "Truth Commission"
Obama's Comments on the Leahy Proposal for a Truth Commission
Posted on February 09, 2009From the transcript of President Obama's press conference: Question: Thank you, Mr. President. Today, Senator Patrick Leahy announced that he wants to set up a truth and reconcil
Text & Video of Leahy's Georgetown Address Recommending a Truth Commission
Posted on February 09, 2009As noted in the previous post, in an address at Georgetown University earlier today, Senator Patrick Leahy proposed the idea of creating a truth commission to address the actions o
BREAKING NEWS: Leahy Proposes Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Posted on February 09, 2009In his Marver Bernstein Address at Georgetown University today, Senator Patrick Leahy proposed the creation of a comprehensive "truth and reconciliation commission" to ad
Senator Leahy to Speak at Georgetown on Restoring Trust in the Judical System, Mon. Feb. 9 at 11 AM
Posted on February 08, 2009The Honorable Patrick LeahySenator Patrick Leahy will be speaking on "Restoring Trust in the Justice System: The Senate Judiciary Committee's Agenda In The 111th Congress"
A.Q. Khan Release by Pakistan
Posted on February 07, 2009A. Q. KhanThe New York Times reports:A Pakistani court freed one of the most successful nuclear proliferators in history, Abdul Qadeer Khan, from house arrest on Friday, lifting th
Dean Harold Koh as Legal Adviser to the Department of State?
Posted on February 07, 2009Yale Law School Dean Harold KohThe Yale Daily News is reporting:Yale Law School Dean Harold Hongju Koh is a leading contender to be appointed legal adviser to the Department of Sta
Biden on Foreign Policy: A New Approach to Russia?
Posted on February 07, 2009Vice President Biden in MunichPhoto-- Frank Augstein/Associated PressThe New York Times is reporting:The United States will pursue a missile defense plan that has angered the Krem
Webcast: Panel on The Post-Guantanamo Era
Posted on February 04, 2009From Bobby Chesney:The Post-Guantanamo Era: A Dialogue on the Law and Policy of Detention and CounterterrorismOn Wednesday, January 28, 2009, the University of Texas School of Law
Qaddafi Made Chair of the African Union
Posted on February 02, 2009Simon Maina/Agence France Presse--Getty ImagesDoes this picture bother anybody? The New York TImes reports:President Muammar el-Qaddafi of Libya was named chairman of the African U
Paula Newberg Appointed Director of Georgetown's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy
Posted on January 27, 2009Dr. Paula NewbergFrom the Georgetown Blue & Gray:Paula Newberg, a specialist in democracy, rights and development in crisis and transition states, has been appointed the new di
International Criminal Court Begins First Trial Today
Posted on January 26, 2009Thomas Lubanga, Reuters PhotoThe New York Times reports:More than six years after openings its doors, the International Criminal Court in The Hague began its first trial Mon
The Financial Crisis, International Investment, and the Rule of Law
Posted on January 26, 2009Will the global financial crisis reverse many of the liberal economic gains of the post Cold War world? Over the past two decades there has been a significant shift from Sovi
DNI Nominee Blair Pledges New Approach to Intelligence
Posted on January 22, 2009The New York Times is reporting:Dennis C. Blair, the retired admiral who is President Obama’s choice as the nation’s top intelligence official, pledged in testimony to
Obama Planning to Issue Executive Order on Guantanamo
Posted on January 22, 2009President Obama is planning to issue an executive order on Guantanamo soon. The ACLU has posted a draft of the order here. Bobby Chesney comments:I reprint and summarize the key pa
Obama Issues Executive Orders on Interrogation, Guantanamo, Detainee Policy, and Memo on al-Marri
Posted on January 22, 2009President Obama Signing Executive OrdersPresident Obama issue three historic executive orders today:Review and Disposition of Individuals Detained at the Guantanamo
More Office of Legal Counsel Memos from Bush Administration Released
Posted on January 21, 2009Courtesy Bobby Chesney-- * LEGAL AUTHORITIES SUPPORTING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY DESCRIBED BY THE PRESIDENT (January 19, 2006) (added 01/16/09) *
BREAKING NEWS: Judge Suspends 5 Detainee Trials
Posted on January 21, 2009The Washington Post is reporting:A U.S. military judge Wednesday suspended the trial of five detainees accused of involvement in plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, acc
A New Hope: Obama's Inaugural Address and American Foreign Policy
Posted on January 20, 2009It was critical that President Obama send the right signal to the rest of the world about a new approach to foreign policy. He did just that in his Inaugural Address: As for our c
Congrats to Marty Lederman-- New Deputy Assistant AG in OLC
Posted on January 20, 2009Marty LedermanJack Balkin posts:Some of you may have noticed that Marty Lederman has not been blogging recently at Balkinization. The reason is that he has been working on the Depa
Remembering Martin Luther King and the Work Ahead
Posted on January 19, 2009Martin Luther King, Jr. with President JohnsonOn this day in which the United States commemorates the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson has an op-ed in the New York Tim
6 More Persons Transferred From Guantanamo
Posted on January 18, 2009From the January 17 DoD Press Release:The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of six detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Four detainees were transferred to Ir
FISA Court of Review Holds a Foreign Intelligence Exception to the Warrant Requirement
Posted on January 15, 2009Chief Judge Bruce Marshall SelyaA decision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review from August 22, 2008 was just made public under the title, * In re Directives **
Salim Hamdan Released by Yemeni Authorities
Posted on January 12, 2009Salim HamdanIn case you missed this-- Reuters reported:Yemen freed Osama bin Laden’s former driver last week after he served out his prison term following his return in Novem
Security Council Adopts Resolution on Gaza
Posted on January 09, 2009file photoLate Thursday evening, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1860. The vote was 14 in favor, with the United States abstaining. The Resolution provides:
Office of Legal Counsel Memos on International and National Security Law Just Posted
Posted on January 09, 2009Bobby Chesney brings to our attention 6 OLC memos that were posted on the OLC website yesterday: “PROTECTED PERSON” STATUS IN OCCUPIED IRAQ UNDER THE FOURTH G
Habeas for Detainees Abroad?
Posted on January 08, 2009Judge John D. BatesFrom SCOTUSblog: Voicing some concern over the government creating a “black hole” for detainees in a “law-free zone” at an overseas mili
The New Justice Department
Posted on January 07, 2009Dawn JohnsenA very positive series of appointments. The New York Times reports:President-elect Barack Obama reached back to the Clinton administration again Monday to fill four top
Professor Adam Winkler on the Real Impact of the Heller Case
Posted on January 02, 2009Adam WinklerUCLA Law Professor Adam Winkler (a former student, I am honored to note) has a very enlightening piece over at The Huffingtonpost on the consequences of D.C. v. H
Benedict XVI's World Day of Peace Message
Posted on January 01, 2009As is tradition, Pope Benedict XVI issued his World Day of Peace Message. I post the message in its entirety here: 1. Once again, as the new year begins, I want to extend good wi
Robert J. Lieber on Israel and Hamas
Posted on January 01, 2009Professor Robert J. LieberMy friend and Georgetown colleague, Robert J. Lieber, has an extremely thoughtful op ed in today's Washington Post on the conflict between Israel and Hama
Two Detainees Found to be "Enemy Combatants"
Posted on December 31, 2008Judge Richard J. LeonPhoto: Beverly RezneckFrom SCOTUSblog: U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon ruled on Tuesday that two Guantanam Bay detainees — nationals of Yemen
Prosecutors Want 147-Year Sentence for "Chuckie" Taylor
Posted on December 29, 2008Charles McArthur Emmanuel, aka, "Chuckie" Taylor Curt Anderson for the AP is reporting today: U.S. prosecutors want a Miami judge to sentence the son of former Liberian
India and Pakistan
Posted on December 26, 2008Indian Prime Minister Manmohan SinghThe New York Times is reporting this morning: Pakistan is moving some troops away from its western border with Afghanistan, where the United Sta
German Warship Stops Somalia Pirate Attack, But Germans Release Pirates
Posted on December 25, 2008German Warship CNN is reporting:German sailors foiled an attempt by pirates to hijack an Egyptian cargo ship off the coast of Yemen, the German Defense Ministry said.
China Arrests 59 Persons in Tibet for "Rumour Spreading"
Posted on December 24, 2008Reuters is reporting this evening: Chinese authorities in the restive mountainous region of Tibet have arrested 59 people for spreading rumours and trying to stir up racial hatred
Bush Signs Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act
Posted on December 24, 2008President Bush Signing H.R. 7311From the White House press release:President George W. Bush signs H.R. 7311, the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization
OSCE to End Peace Operation in Georgia
Posted on December 22, 2008OSCE Ministerial CouncilThe New York Times reports:The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe announced Monday that it would end its 16-year mission in Georgia early n
Senate Armed Services Committee Inquiry into the Treatment of Detainees in U.S. Custody
Posted on December 21, 2008Senators Carl Levin and John McCain of the SenateArmed Services CommitteeIn case you missed it, the Executive Summary of the Senate Armed Services Committee Inquiry into the Treatm
Ambassador Mark P. Lagon on Vulnuerable Minorities
Posted on December 19, 2008Over at Dipnote, the US Department of States Offical blog, Dr. Mark Lagon writes: As Ambassador-at-Large to combat human trafficking, I have focused on how human beings are degrad
Gates Orders Staff to Develop Plan for Closing Guantanamo
Posted on December 18, 2008Secretary of Defense Robert Gates with Richard Haas SCOTUSblog is reporting: In a move with a potentially major impact on the federal courts, the Pentagon announced Thursday tha
The Fate of Guantanamo Prisoners, Commentary by Catherine Lotrionte
Posted on December 15, 2008Catherine LotriontePresident-elect Obama has decided to close Guantanamo. While a number of prisoners have recently been released, many of the remaining ones are considered t
The Need to Watch Bosnia
Posted on December 14, 2008BosniaThe New York Times reports some troubling news:Thirteen years after the United States brokered the Dayton peace agreement to end the ferocious ethnic war in the former Yugosl
The Price of Slience-- A Human Rights Music Video
Posted on December 13, 2008As noted in a previous post, on December 11th, the Master of Science in Foreign Service Program of the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University sponsored a special
Avery Cardinal Dulles: In Memoriam
Posted on December 12, 2008Avery Cardinal DullesFrom Fordham University's press release:Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University since 198
"The Price of Silence": A Conversation on Human Rights, December 11, 2PM at Georgetown University
Posted on December 11, 2008Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human RightsThe Master of Science in Foreign Service Program of the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University is h
Arar v. Ashcroft: Video of Oral Argument Before Second Circuit
Posted on December 11, 2008Maher ArarWith a Hat Tip to Bobby Chesney, the oral argument in Arar v. Ashcroft can be found here. As will be recalled-- Second Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral argument in Ar
Obama Meets with National War Powers Commission Members
Posted on December 11, 2008The New York Times reports: In between interviewing cabinet nominees and announcing health care plans, Mr. Obama met Thursday with the leaders of a commission that has proposed r
Iain Guest on Obama and the UN Human Rights Council
Posted on December 10, 2008F.decorate(_ge('photo_notes'), F._photo_notes).notes_go_go_go(1578952389, 'http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2287/1578952389_65ae9b7a1c_t.jpg', '3.1444');
Five Blackwater Employees Indicted for Manslaughter in Iraq
Posted on December 08, 2008Nisour Square, the Scene of the ShootingAli Yussef/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesThe Justice Department unsealed a 35-count indictment against five Blackwater employees
Supreme Court Grants Cert in al-Marri
Posted on December 05, 2008Bobby Chesney reports: * Al Marri v. Pucciarelli (08-368) – cert grantedThe Supreme Court has granted cert in connection with the Fourth Circuit’s splintered en banc d
Security Council Adopts Resolution on Somali Pirates
Posted on December 03, 2008UN Security CouncilThe operative paragraphs of Security Council Resolution 1846 provide:Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, 1. Reiterates tha
Rwandan Pop Star Convicted by International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
Posted on December 02, 2008From the ICTR website:Trial Chamber III composed of Judges Inés Mónica Weinberg de Roca, Florence Rita Arrey and Robert Fremr, on Tuesday 2 December 2008, convicted S
Gaurav Mishra on Citizen Journalism and the Mumbai Attacks
Posted on November 29, 2008Guarav MishraGuarav Mishra, the Yahoo! Fellow in International Values, Communications, Technology, and Global Internet at Georgetown's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and MSF
Steve Bainbridge as Ambassador to the Holy See
Posted on November 28, 2008Steve BainbridgeMy dear friend Steve Bainbrige has an exceptionally thoughtful and detailed post on legal and policy questions that have been raised about the prospects of Obama ap
Something to be Thankful for . . .
Posted on November 27, 2008From Roger Cohen in New York Times:Give thanks on this day for the law. It’s what stands between the shining city on a hill and the dark side.
Jack Goldsmith on Investigating the Bush Administration
Posted on November 26, 2008Jack GoldsmithJack Goldsmith has a very thoughtful op ed in today's Washington Post about the prospects of conducting investigations into the Bush Admnistration treatment of detain
Second Circuit Rules that Warrantless Searches Against US Nationals Aboard Can be Permissible
Posted on November 25, 2008Judge Jose CarbranesThe New York Times reports:The authorities may lawfully conduct searches and electronic surveillance against United States citizens in foreign countries without
Ambassador Mark Lagon Named Executive Director of Polaris Project
Posted on November 25, 2008From the Polaris Project press release:Polaris Project, a national organization combating human trafficking, has named Ambassador Mark P. Lagon, Director of the Office to Monitor a
Hamdan to be Released to Yemen
Posted on November 25, 2008Salim HamdanThe New York Times is reporting this morning:The United States military has decided to release a former driver for Osama bin Laden whose trial became a test case for th
Judge Bates Rules that Military Comission Trial of Omar Khadr can Continue
Posted on November 24, 2008Omar Khadr at age 14From SCOTUSBlog: In a 19-page ruling, District Judge John D. Bates denied review at this time on part of the claims by Omar Khadr seeking to challenge his mili
Piracy Does Pay: Somali Pirates Release Greek-Owned Tanker After Ransom is Paid
Posted on November 23, 2008MAP-- BBCIn case you missed this, the AP reported yesterday:Somali pirates have released a hijacked Greek-owned tanker with all 19 crew safe and the oil cargo intact after payment
The Gentrification of Greenpeace
Posted on November 23, 2008The New York Times reports an interesting change in the tactics of Greenpeace. Mark McDonald writes that even as the Sam Shepard Conservation Society is getting ready to send the S
Judge Leon's Order in Boumediene and Bobby Chesney's Commentary
Posted on November 20, 2008With a Hat Tip to Neal Sonnett and courtesy of Bobby Chesney-- here is the link to Judge Leon's Order.Bobby offers the following overview and commentary:Judge Leon framed the quest
Judge Leon Orders the Release of 5 Guantanamo Detainees
Posted on November 20, 2008From Lyle Denniston over at SCOTUSblog:U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon, in the first ruling in a full trial testing the Supreme Court’s June decision on detainees&r
Eric Holder as Attorney General?
Posted on November 19, 2008Eric HolderThis would be a good appointment. The New York Times is reporting this morning:President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team has signaled to Eric H. Holder Jr., a
More on the Pirated Oil Tanker
Posted on November 18, 2008Sirius Star Photo-- Newsis, via Associated Press The New York Times is reporting this morning:A hijacked Saudi-owned supertanker carryin
Putting the Constitution Back Together
Posted on November 17, 2008Nov. 6, 2008 Mike Luckovich Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionalHT: Rev. Margaret Clemons
Somali Pirates Seize Oil Tanker
Posted on November 17, 2008Saudi-owned Sirus Star, seized by Somali piratesBrendan Geary brings yet another act by Somali pirates to our attention. The BBC reports: Somali pirates have seized a giant Saudi-
Will Bush Pardon Persons Who Engaged in Harsh Interrogation of Detainees?
Posted on November 16, 2008Neal Sonnett brings an interesting article in the Telegraph to our attention. The piece reports: Senior intelligence officers are lobbying the outgoing president to look after the
Advice to Obama on International Law: Reclaiming the Legal High Ground
Posted on November 15, 2008The Past and the FutureLong before the election, many (e.g., here and her
Jack Balkin on Obama and Presidential Power
Posted on November 13, 2008Jack BalkinCheck out Jack Balkin's op ed in the Guardan on presidential power and the Obama presidency. He concludes: Many of the problems Obama will face stem from the presidency
Crackdown in Myanmar
Posted on November 11, 2008Aung San Suu KyiThe New York Times is reporting this morning: Myanmar’s military leadership continued its crackdown on dissent Tuesday, handing down prison sentences of 65 y
Catherine Lotrionte on Using Force Against Al Qaeda
Posted on November 11, 2008Catherine LotrionteEchoing a previous post, Reuters is reporting:Bush has given the military new authority to fight al Qaeda on its own and in coordination with the CIA. The New Yo
2004 Executive Order Provided Authorization for Extensive Military Operations
Posted on November 10, 2008Graphic-- New York TimesIn case you missed this-- the New York Times reports:The U
Obama's Solicitor General
Posted on November 07, 2008Preeta Bansal-- next SG?There is an interesting piece in USA Today about the job of the new Solicitor General, with some comments by former SG's: "The SG is the face that the
Duncan Hollis on Obama and International Law
Posted on November 06, 2008Duncan HollisOver at Opinio Juris, Duncan Hollis discusses Obama's responses to an American Society of International Law survey on international law. HT: Georgetown Security Law Br
Marty Lederman for the Office of Legal Counsel
Posted on November 06, 2008Marty LedermanOn Election night, I was teaching my seminar on International Law and War. Our topic was the treatment of detainees. Needless to say, we spent much time discussing th
Obama's Election: The View From Abroad
Posted on November 05, 2008Obama in BerlinThis morning's NewYork Times reports on the perceptions of the US election from the rest of the world:Mr. Obama’s election offers most non-Americans a sense th
Obama Elected President: New Hope for International Law
Posted on November 04, 2008The election of Barak Obama is historic for so many reasons. Over the next several months, he will be moving to establish new foreign policy goals. As this process unfolds, the Oba
Ban Ki-Moon to Travel to the DR Congo
Posted on November 03, 2008Ban Ki-moonThe BBC reports: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said he will travel to East Africa to push forward efforts at ending the ongoing crisis in eastern DR Congo. Mr
What Happened to the Criminal Investigation of the Destruction of the CIA Interrogation Tapes?
Posted on November 02, 2008John H. DurhamIn reviewing some old posts, I was reminded that in January of 2007, Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed John H. Durham to conduct a criminal inquiry into the
Charles Taylor's Son, "Chucky" Taylor, Convicted of Torture in Federal District Court
Posted on November 02, 2008"Chucky" TaylorIf it weren't for Opinio Juris, I probably would have missed this decision. Julian Ku posts: “Chucky” Taylor, son of former Liberian President
Federal Judge Orders Disclosure In Camera of Legal Memo on NSA Surveillance
Posted on November 01, 2008Judge Henry H. Kennedy, Jr.Photo: Beverly Rezneck The New York Times reports: U.S. District Judge Henry Kennedy Jr. signed an order Friday requiring the department to pr
ICJ Provisional Measure in Georgia v. Russian Federation
Posted on October 26, 2008In case you missed it, the ICJ issued an order on provisional measures in the Case Concerning Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
The Al-Marri Case and Trying Terrorists
Posted on October 25, 2008Ali Saleh Kahlah al-MarriLyle Denniston over at SCOTUSblog explains: A group of former federal judges and ex-officials of the Justice Department have urged the Supreme Court to ta
What Will Happen to Prisoners Held by US in Iraq?
Posted on October 25, 2008Camp Bucca, IraqDavid Furst/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The News York Times reports on another problem of the transition in Iraq:America’s largest detention fac
NATO to Begin Antipiracy Operations Off Coast of Somalia
Posted on October 24, 2008Pirates in 2005The New York Times is reporting:A NATO flotilla sailing toward the Somali coast will begin antipiracy operations within the next few days, but officials said Wednesd
Chinese Human Rights Advocate Wins Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
Posted on October 23, 2008Hu JiaBill Austin/European Pressphoto AgencyThe New York Times reports: Hu Jia, a soft-spoken, bespectacled advocate for democracy and human rights in China, was awarded the Sakhar
The Saturday Night Massacre: Thirty Five Years Later
Posted on October 20, 2008Archibald CoxCaitlyn Antrim of the Rule of Law Committee for the Oceans reminds us that this is the 35th anniversary of the infamous Saturday Night Massacre. From the Washington Po
China Imposes More Restrictions on Islam
Posted on October 19, 2008A Mosque in Khotan, ChinaToday's New York Times reports this sad development from Khotan, China:The grand mosque that draws thousands of Muslims each week in this oasis town has al
US Takes North Korea Off the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism
Posted on October 11, 2008Sean McCormackThe Department of State held a briefing this morning announcing this development. A video of the briefing can be found here. From the Department's website, here is th
D.C. Circuit Issues Stay of Judge Urbina's Order on Uighurs
Posted on October 09, 2008E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse, Washington, D.C.A previous post noted the order issued on Tuesday by District Judge Urbina ordering the U.S. to bring 17 Uighurs held in Guanatanam
UN General Assembly Requests Advisory Opinion of the ICJ on Kosovo's Declaration of Independence
Posted on October 09, 2008International Court of JusticeJoseph Grieboski brings this development to our attention-- From the UN Press Release: The General Assembly today, by a recorded vote of 77 in favour
Bishop Raimundo Arms Valenzuela: In Memoriam
Posted on October 09, 2008Bishop Raimundo Valenzuela died at the age of 92 on September 28. His son, my colleague Professor Arturo Valenzuela, was kind to send me his biography. Here are some excerpts:Raimu
Judge Urbina Orders Uighurs Held at Guantanamo to be Brought to US
Posted on October 08, 2008Judge Ricardo UrbinaPhoto: R. Strauss/Smithsonian SCOTUSBlog reports: A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the government to release a group of 17 Chinese Muslims held at Guan
The Latest on the Somali Pirates
Posted on October 05, 2008Ukrainian Ship Held by Somali PiratesSeveral previous posts have discussed the recent actions of a group of Somali pirates. The AP is reporting this afternoon: With a Russian friga
The New Term of the Supreme Court
Posted on October 04, 2008Check out Adam Liltak's peice in the New York Times about the new term of the Supreme Court.
Senate Approves Indian Nuclear Agreement
Posted on October 02, 2008The Senate approved H.R. 7081, the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act, this evening at 8:32PM by a vote of 86-13. The Washington
Russia's Supreme Court Rehabilitates the Czar and the Royal Family
Posted on October 02, 2008Nicholas II and FamilyA very interesting development. The New York Times reports: Russia’s Supreme Court ruled in favor of full rehabilitation for Russia’s last czar an
CORRECTION: Indian Nuclear Agreement
Posted on October 01, 2008My friend and colleague Sandy Spector points out that this Agreement is not being done as a treaty. It thus requires a majority vote in both houses of Congress to be approved. It w
Senate to Vote Today on Indian Nuclear Agreement
Posted on October 01, 2008Signing of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in 1968 (AP Wide World Photos)The AP reports:A nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and India is ready for a vote
Somali Pirates Give Interview
Posted on September 30, 2008Somali Pirates Hijacked a Ukrainian Freighter Loaded with WeaponsThe New York Times reports on a telephone interview with a Somali pirate:In a 45-minute interview, Mr. Sugule [Ali]
Henry Kissinger's Comments on Iran
Posted on September 28, 2008Henry KissingerHenry Kissinger had the following comments about Iran in today's Washington Post: Iranian nuclear military capability is unacceptable for the following reasons: It
Ban Ki-Moon
Posted on September 28, 2008Ban Ki-MoonColum Lynch has an interesting article in Monday's Washington Post on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. One excerpt: After more than 20 months in office, Ban is strain
Security Council Calls Upon Iran to Comply With Nuclear Obligations
Posted on September 27, 2008The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1835, which provides: “The Security Council, “Taking note of the 15 September 2008 Report by the Di
Can the US Lawfully Use Force Against Terrorist Targets in Pakistan?
Posted on September 24, 2008Secretary of Defense Robert GatesBrendan Geary brings the following comments by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to our attention. The Financial Times reports: Robert Gates, US d
Elie Wiesel Calls for the Indictment of Ahmadinejad
Posted on September 22, 2008Elie WieselThe Reuters reports:Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel urged the United Nations on Monday to indict Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for inciting gen
Less Citing of US Supreme Court by Non-US Courts
Posted on September 18, 2008Some interesting data. Adam Liptak reports in the New York Times:Even as a debate continues in the court over whether its decisions should ever cite foreign law, a diminishing numb
IAEA Critical of Iran
Posted on September 15, 2008With ithe mmediate financial crises taking up much of the news, it might be easy to miss this. The New York Times reports:Iran has substantially improved the efficiency of its cent
A Sad Commentary on Afghanistan
Posted on September 14, 2008Francesc VendrellThe New York Times reports:One of the most experienced Western envoys in Afghanistan said Sunday that conditions there had become the worst since 2001. He urged a
On the Rosenberg Case
Posted on September 11, 2008Morton Sobell, with the Rosenberg's in the backgroundPhoto-- Librado Romero/The New York Times An interesting revelation. The New York Times reports:In 1951, Morton Sobell was trie
Child Mortality Rates
Posted on September 11, 2008Reuters reports:More than 9 million children globally died before their fifth birthday in 2007, down slightly from 2006, but a huge gap remains between rich and poor countries,
The Rule of Law and the Global War on Terrorism: Detainees, Interrogations, and Military Commissions
Posted on September 10, 2008Major General Thomas Romig, US Army (ret.), former JudgeAdvocate GeneralDean Thomas Romig and Washburn University School of Law announce the following conference:The Rule of L
NEW BLOG: How Global Values Shape Communications Technologies
Posted on September 08, 2008Gauvra MishraGauvra Mishra is the 2008-09 Yahoo! Fellow in International Values, Communications, Technology, and Global Internet with the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and t
More on the Arctic
Posted on September 08, 2008As noted in the previous post, the melting of the Arctic presents serious jurisdictional issues. Today's New York Times has an editorial calling f
Jurisdiction Issues in the Arctic: Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route Open at the Same Time
Posted on September 07, 2008The New York Times reports:Leading ice specialists in Europe and the United States for the first time have agreed that a ring of navigable waters has opened all around the fr
Avoiding Civilian Casualities in Afgahnistan: Putting More Troops on the Ground
Posted on September 06, 2008Hamid Karzai (Photo- AFP: Massoud Hossiani )In the wake of recent reports of civilian casualities in Afghanistan, the New York Times has an editorial today
More US Criticism of Russia
Posted on September 06, 2008Cheney in ItalyMatteo Bazzi/European Pressphoto AgencyThe New York Times is reporting:Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday denounced Russia’s war against Georgia as evidenc
Getting Out of Iraq
Posted on September 05, 2008Professor Colin KahlOur Georgetown University colleague Colin Kahl and John Nagl and Shaw Brimley have a very interesting op ed in today's New York Times about an exit strategy for
US Supports Georgian Admission to NATO
Posted on September 04, 2008The New York Times reports:Vice President Dick Cheney flew here on Thursday to deliver a forceful American pledge to rebuild Georgia and its economy, to preserve its sovereignty an
US to Give $1 Billion to Georgia, as Cheney Visits Region
Posted on September 03, 2008Dick Cheney AP-- PhotoThe New York Times reports:The Bush administration plans to announce a $1 billion package of aid to help rebuild Georgia after its rout by Russian force
Russian Leader Sets Forth "Guiding Principles" of Foreign Policy
Posted on September 01, 2008Dmitri MedvedevThe New York Times reports: President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia on Sunday laid out what he said would become his government’s guiding principles of foreign
Italy to "Compensate" Libya 5 Billion Dollars for "Colonial Misdeeds"
Posted on August 30, 2008Silvio Berlusconi and Muammar GaddafiThis is amazing. Reuters reports:Libya and Italy signed an accord on Saturday under which Italy will pay $5 billion in compensation for colon
Charles E. Pirtle on Russia's Recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia
Posted on August 28, 2008In several previous posts, my great friend, Professor Charles E. Pirtle, has commented on recent developments in South Ossetia and elsewhere. In light of the recent action by Russi
The US Version of the Afghan Airstrike
Posted on August 27, 2008The New York Times reports:American military officials sought on Wednesday to refute claims that as many as 90 civilians — among them 60 children — were killed in airst
Russia Recognizes South Ossetia and Abkhazia as Independent States
Posted on August 26, 2008The New York Times is reporting this morning:Russia on Tuesday formally recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two enclaves in Georgia whose separatist aspi
More Problems in Darfur
Posted on August 25, 2008The New York Times reports:Dozens of people were killed and more than 100 were injured Monday in a government assault on a huge camp for displaced people in Darfur, the conflict-ri
Remembering Prague Spring
Posted on August 24, 2008Alexander Dubcek in 1968One of my earliest memories of international politics was the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. I remember watching the news in the morning before going to
Karzai Condemns US Air Strike: Was it Indiscriminate Force?
Posted on August 23, 2008Hamid KarzaiReuters is reporting today: "Afghan President Hamid Karzai strongly condemns the uncoordinated air strike by coalition forces in Shindand district of Herat prov
UK High Court Supports Claim of Torture of Binyam Mohamed
Posted on August 21, 2008Binyam MohamedThe New York Times reports:A British court said on Thursday that a terrorism suspect being held at Guantánamo Bay had credible arguments that the United State
Analysis of the Parhat Case
Posted on August 19, 2008Lyle DennistonOver at SCOTUSBlog, Lyle Denniston has an excellent commentary of the Parhat case. He explains: A member of a long-persecuted Chinese Muslim community, the Uigh
The War in Afghanistan
Posted on August 19, 2008The New York Times reports: Taliban insurgents mounted their most serious attacks in six years of fighting in Afghanistan over the last two days, including a coordinated assault by
Do We Need to Revise the Geneva Conventions to Address Terrorism?
Posted on August 16, 2008Deborah PearlsteinDeborah Pearlstein has recently written posted a forthcoming article entitled, "Avoiding an International Law Fix for Terrorist Detention." (H.T.:
Is the Vice President a Member of the Executive Branch?
Posted on August 16, 2008White House Photo-- David BohrerRead Stephen Griffin's interesting post over at Bakinizaton, Was Addington Right about the Vice Presidency.
Charles E. Pirtle on South Ossetia
Posted on August 15, 2008South Ossetia Coat of ArmsAs noted in an earlier post, my great friend, Dr. Charles E. Pirtle, is a legend at Georgetown University. He taught political geography at Georgetown fo
Russia Violating Agreement with Georgia?
Posted on August 13, 2008The New York Times is reporting:A Russian tank battalion occupied the Georgian city of Gori on Wednesday and was controlling access roads into and out of the city, in what Georgia
Russia Agrees to a Cease-Fire
Posted on August 12, 2008Map-- BBCThe New York Times is reporting this afternoon:President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia agreed on Tuesday to the terms of a cease-fire that could end the clashes in Georgia,
Human Rights on the Colbert Report: Joey Cheek and Jane Mayer
Posted on August 12, 2008Joey CheekHuman rights were featured on the evening's Cobert Report. Olympian Gold Medalist Joey Cheek, founder of Team Darfur, spoke about the genocide in Darfur. Cheek, as is wel
Charles King on the Russian-Georgian War
Posted on August 11, 2008Professor Charles KingA previous post explored the international legal aspects of the South Ossetia conflict. In that post, I cited Professor Charles King's discussion of the statu
Russia, Georgia, and International Law: Is South Ossetia a "State"?
Posted on August 09, 2008Photo-- Denis Sinyakov/ReutersWhat does international law have to say about the Russian actions in South Ossetia? Check out Chris Borgen's outstanding legal analysis over at
Hamdan Sentenced to 66 Months in Prison
Posted on August 07, 2008The New York Times is reporting:Salim Ahmed Hamdan, the convicted former driver for Osama bin Laden, was sentenced Thursday to 66 months in prison by the military panel that convic
Putting the Hamdan Sentence in Context
Posted on August 07, 2008Salim HamdanOver at National Security Advisors, Bobby Chesney notes:Some of you may be wondering how that [the 66 month sentence] compares to typical sentences for material support
Bobby Chesney on Hamdan and Ex Post Facto Law
Posted on August 06, 2008Bobby ChesneyOver at National Security Advisors, Bobby Chesney comments on the question of whether providing material support was a war crime before Congress enacted legislation. H
McCain and Obama Comment on Hamdan's Conviction
Posted on August 06, 2008From Neal Sonnett:Senator Obama issued the following statement regarding the verdicts in the Hamdan case:"I commend the military officers who presided over this trial and serv
Hamdan: How the Appeal Works
Posted on August 06, 2008Over at SCOTUSblog, Lyle Denniston reminds us of the appeal process set out in the Military Commissions Act: Under the MCA, a verdict and sentence are first reviewed by a Pentagon
Breaking News: More on the Hamdan Conviction
Posted on August 06, 2008Hamdan in 1999Photo-- New York TimesWilliam Glaberson of the New York Times is reporting more on the Hamdan conviction:A panel of six military officers convicted a former driver fo
Salim Hamdan Found Guilt of Providing Material Support for Terrorism; Acquitted on Conspiracy
Posted on August 06, 2008Salim HamdanThe New York Times reports: Guantánamo Detainee Found Guilty of Material Support for Terrorism but Acquitted on Conspiracy Charges
Victor Cha: Sports and International Politics
Posted on August 05, 2008Professor Victor Cha Previous posts have noted the forthcoming book by my friend and colleague, Victor Cha, entitled, Beyond the Final Score: The Polit
Louis Fisher Responds to John Yoo
Posted on August 04, 2008Dr. Louis FisherOver at Balkinization, Mary Dudziak cross posts Elizabeth Hillman's post of Constitutional law scholar Louis Fisher's response to John Yoo's paper on Thomas Jeffers
August 2, 1990-- A World Away
Posted on August 02, 2008George Herbert Walker Bush at the UN The world changed on August 2, 1990. It was on that day that Iraqi forces under the command of Saddam Hussein launched what turned out to
Bringing Heads of State to Trial
Posted on August 01, 2008Mark VlasicInstitute for International Law & Politics Senior Fellow, Mark Vlasic, has an excellent op ed in today's San Francisco Chronicle entitled "The End of Impunity.&
Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Resolution on Olympic Truce
Posted on July 31, 2008Senator Russ FeingoldFrom the press release from Senator Russ Feingold's office:A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators is urging the international community to use the worl
Radovan Karadzic Heads to the Hague
Posted on July 29, 2008Radovan KaradzicReuters is reporting this evening:War crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic, arrested last week after 11 years on the run, is leaving Serbia and will soon be in the cus
More War Crime Arrests in Serbia?
Posted on July 27, 2008Serbian Prime Minister Mirko CvetkovicReuters is reporting this morning: The arrest of Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic showed Belgrade's willingness to recognize
Seminar on International Humanitarian Law and the 'War on Terror'
Posted on July 26, 2008Claude Bruderlein, Harvard UniversityFrom Bobby Chesney over at National Security Advisors: upcoming event: Humanitarian Law & Policy Forum: IHL and the "Global War on Te
Heavily Redacted OLC Memo on Interrogation Techniques
Posted on July 25, 2008Jay BybeeAt the same time the infamous Bybee Memorandum on interrogation was written, another OLC memo was also authored under Bybee's name. This memo reportedly provided the CIA l
Ban Ki-Moon Names Navanethem Pillay UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Posted on July 25, 2008Navanethem PillayTo follow up on a previous post-- the New York Times reports: The United Nations secretary general named a South African judge, Navanethem Pillay, as the next high
John Walcott Awarded First I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence
Posted on July 24, 2008John WalcottA seasoned journalist, John Walcott has been an adjunct professor in the Master of Science in Foreign Service Program at Georgetown University for years. Yesterday, the
Hamdan's Military Commission Trial
Posted on July 23, 2008Salim HamdanSCOTUSblog will be providing links to the converage of the military commssion trial of Salim Hamdan.
al-Bashir Seeks Public Support
Posted on July 23, 2008Omar Hassan al-BashirThis is very strange. The New York Times reports: Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the president of Sudan who has been accused of genocide, is not especially well known
We Don't Torture- The British May Not Believe It (re-post)
Posted on July 22, 2008British Foreign Secretary David MilibandReuters is reporting:Britain should no longer rely on assurances by the United States that it does not torture terrorism suspects, an influe
Blog Problems
Posted on July 22, 2008My apologies for a recent blog problem. For some reason, the last couple of posts seem to have been lost in cyberspace. I will seek to rectify the problem as soon as possible.
Navanethem Pillay May be Named UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Posted on July 18, 2008Navanethem PillayThe New York Times reports:The United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, is planning to nominate a South African judge, Navanethem Pillay, to succeed Louise A
Ashcroft Refused to Promote John Yoo to Assistant Attorney General
Posted on July 17, 2008John AshcroftThe Washington Post reports today: Then-Attorney General John D. Ashcroft offered the White House a list of five candidates to lead the Justice Department Office of Le
Fourth Circuit Rules in al-Marri Case that President Has Authority to Detain Indefinitely
Posted on July 15, 2008Ali al-MarriThe New York Times reports:President Bush has the legal power to order the indefinite military detentions of civilians captured in the United States, the federal appeal
ICC Prosecutor Formally Requests Arrest Warrant for al-Bashir
Posted on July 14, 2008Luis Moreno-OcampoFrom the ICC press release: ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has presented evidence today showing that Sudanese President, Omar Hassan Ahmad AL BASHIR committed
Staged Protest in Sudan and More Criticism of a Possible Arrest Warrant for al-Bashir
Posted on July 13, 2008Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-BashirA previous post reported on a potential ICC arrest warrant against Sudan's president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Today, the New York Times report
President Signs FISA Amendments Act of 2008
Posted on July 11, 2008The President signed H.R. 6304, the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 today. Here are the President's remarks from the White House website: THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Welcome to the
ICC Prosecutor Reported to Seek Arrest Warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir
Posted on July 10, 2008Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-BashirFriday's Washington Post is reporting:The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court will seek an arrest warrant Monday for Sudane
7 Peacekeepers Killed in Darfur
Posted on July 09, 2008The AP is reporting:About 200 gunmen on horseback and in SUVs launched a brazen attack on international peacekeepers in Darfur, killing seven in the deadliest strike against the un
Post-Boumediene Habeas Hearings
Posted on July 08, 2008Judge Thomas F. HoganFrom SCOTUSblog:On Tuesday, the first federal court hearing on habeas cases in the wake of the Supreme Court’s June 12 decision in Boumediene v. Bush (0
National War Powers Commission Report: Initial Thoughts
Posted on July 08, 2008Commission Co-Chairs, James Baker and Warren ChristopherPhoto-- Brendan HoffmanThe National War Powers Commission issued its Report today in a briefing on Capitol Hill (video). As
What We Learned from the Chinese
Posted on July 06, 2008Tim Weiner, the author of Legacy of Ashes, has a sobering commentary in today's New York Times. Discussing the historic use of brainwashing and other interrogation techniques, Wein
Louise Arbour and Human Rights
Posted on July 05, 2008Louise Arbour Fabrice Coffrini/Agence France-Presse — Gett
In Search of the Declaration of Independence
Posted on July 04, 2008On Independence Day, Ted Widmer of Brown University has an interesting op ed in the New York Times on the various copies of the Declaration of Independence and efforts to find &quo
Who's Afraid of Boumediene?
Posted on July 02, 2008Anthony Kennedy-- A Justice to Fear?Apparently David Rivkin and Lee Casey. They have an op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal in which they make the following assertion:The Supreme
Robert J. Lieber on "Declinism"
Posted on July 01, 2008Professor Robert J. LieberMy friend and colleague, Robert J. Lieber, has a provocative article in the summer issue of The World Affairs Journal. The article, entitled "Falling
Opinion in Parhat v. Gates
Posted on June 30, 2008E Barrett Prettyman CourthouseAs a previous post noted, on June 20th, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision of the Combatant Status Review Tribunal in Parhat v. G
Do Detainees Held In Afghanistan Have a Right to Petition for Habeas?
Posted on June 29, 2008Bagram airbase, AfghanistanToday's Washington Post reports on the new legal challenges to government detentions (HT: Neal Sonnett): Jawed Ahmad, a driver and assistant for report
Catherine Lotrionte to become Associate Director of the Institute for International Law & Politics
Posted on June 29, 2008Professor Catherine LotrionteOn July 1, 2008, Catherine Lotrionte will become the Associate Director of the Institute for International Law & Politics. In this new role,
North Korea Destroys Cooling Tower at Nuclear Plant
Posted on June 27, 2008via Associated Press/AptnThe New York Times is reporting this morning:In a gesture demonstrating its commitment to halt its nuclear weapons program, North Korea blew up the most v
Supreme Court Rules that Indivudals Have the Right to Possess Guns
Posted on June 26, 2008The AP is reporting:The Supreme Court says Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the justices' first major pronouncement on gun rights in U.S. history. T
Opinion in Kennedy v. Louisiana: Child Rape Death Penalty Case
Posted on June 25, 2008The opinon in Kennedy v. Louisiana is now available on the Supreme Court website here.
Supreme Court Rules that Death Penalty is "Cruel and Unusual Punishment" for Child Rape
Posted on June 25, 2008Justice Anthony KennedyFrom the AP:The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a law that allows the execution of people convicted of a raping a child. In a 5-4 vote, the court sai
Crimes Against Humanity: The Need for Domestic Legislation
Posted on June 25, 2008Senator Richard DurbinThe previous post reported on yesterday's Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing: From Nuremberg to Darfur: Accountability for Crimes Against Humanity. T
Senate Judiciary Hearing Today: From Nuremberg to Darfur: Accountability for Crimes Against Humanity
Posted on June 24, 2008Olympic Gold Medalist, Joey CheekPresident, Team DarfurAt 10:00 this morning, Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law will holding a hearing enti
DC Circuit Overturns Combatant Status Review Tribunal
Posted on June 23, 2008Chief Circuit Judge David SentelleReuters is reporting this afternoon:A federal appeals court on Monday overturned a U.S. military tribunal's enemy combatant designation for a Chin
Bainbridge on Epstein on Boumediene
Posted on June 23, 2008My friend Steve Bainbridge recently posted a discussion of Richard Epstein's op ed in the New York Times about the Supreme Court decision in Boumediene. Bainbridge notes: Famed li
Agreement Reached on Intelligence Surveillance Legislation
Posted on June 19, 2008Rep. Steny HoyerThe New York Times is reporting this afternoon:After months of wrangling, Democratic and Republican leaders reached a deal Thursday that would re-write the rules fo
Big Brother Goes East: Sweden's New Surveillance Law
Posted on June 19, 2008The BBC is reporting: Sweden's parliament has approved controversial new laws allowing authorities to spy on cross-border e-mail and telephone traffic. The country's intellige
Omar Khadr's Attorney: Lt. Cmdr. William C. Kuebler
Posted on June 19, 2008Lt. Cmdr. William C. KueblerWilliam Glaberson has an excellent article in today's New York Times on Lt. Cmdr. William C. Kuebler, the Navy JAG Officer assigned to defend detainee O
Colonel Morris Davis on Interrogation and the Defense Department
Posted on June 17, 2008Colonel Morris DavisThe Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing today on "the origins of aggressive interrogation techniques." The witnesses included Alberto Mora,
Security Council Calls Upon Sudan to Cooperate with the ICC
Posted on June 16, 2008In the wake of ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo’s recent briefing of the UN Security Council, the President of the Council released this statement earlier today: “
Victor Cha on the Olympics and Political Change in China
Posted on June 16, 2008Victor ChaMy friend and Georgetown colleague, Victor Cha, has an excellent op ed in yesterday's Los Angeles Times on the impact of the Olympics on China. Cha notes:Political change
Bainbridge on Boumediene
Posted on June 13, 2008Stephen BainbridgeIn the wake of the Boumediene decision yesterday, my friend Steve Bainbridge raises an important question. He notes: One legal issue that I have not seen adequa
Supreme Court Rules 5-4 that Detainees in Guantanamo Have the Right to Habeas Corpus
Posted on June 12, 2008Justice Anthony KennedyFrom ScotusBlog, Lyle Denniston reports: In a stunning blow to the Bush Administration in its war-on-terrorism policies, the Supreme Court ruled Thur
Sarah Kreps on the Problems of UN Peacekeeping in Darfur
Posted on June 11, 2008Institute for International Law & Politics Senior Fellow and Harvard Research Fellow, Sarah Kreps, recently discussed the difficulties of UN peacekeeping in Darfur in an interv
State Department Releases 2008 Report on Trafficking in Persons
Posted on June 10, 2008Ambassador Mark P. LagonIn case you missed this-- on June 4th, the Department of State released its 2008 Report on Trafficking in Persons. Both Secretary Rice and Ambassador Mark P
John Bellinger to Testify on Rendition, Today at 2:00PM
Posted on June 10, 2008John Bellinger, IIIAt 2:00PM EST today, John Bellinger, III, the Legal Adviser to the Department of States, will be testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee Subcommitt
Charli Carpenter on Preemption
Posted on June 09, 2008Professor R. Charli CarpenterThe previous post discussed the recent statement by the Israeli Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz about a possible preemptive use
Marty Lederman on the Maher Arar Case
Posted on June 06, 2008Maher ArarOver at Balkinization, Marty Lederman blogs on the latest in the Maher Arar scandal. Marty notes:The Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security has issued
Darfur Before the UN Security Council
Posted on June 06, 2008Luis Moreno-Ocampo,Chief Prosecutor, International Criminal CourtThe New York Times is reporting this morning: “The entire Darfur region is a crime scene,” Luis Moreno
Israel, Iran, and the Doctrine of Preemptive Self-Defense
Posted on June 06, 2008Israeli Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz Reuters reports:An Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites looks "unavoidable" given the apparent failure of sanctions to de
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed Arraigned Before Military Commission
Posted on June 05, 2008Khalid Shaikh MohammedThe New York Times is reporting:Five detainees who the government says were high-level coordinators of the Sept. 11 terror attacks were arraigned in a militar
Jesselyn Radack on John Walker Lindh
Posted on June 03, 2008Jesselyn RadackA previous post reproduced Jesselyn Radack's letter to the Editor of the Washington Post on the abuse of John Walker Lindh. Ms. Radack had a commentary in Monday's P
FBI Abuse of John Walker Lindh
Posted on June 01, 2008John Walker LindhYou might have missed this letter to the editor in Friday's Washington Post:FBI Abuse, Unmentioned Friday, May 30, 2008; A12 I read with dismay an article [May 2
Gates: Myanmar's Government Guilty of "Criminal Neglect"
Posted on June 01, 2008Robert M. GatesThe New York Times is reporting:In the strongest remarks yet by a high-ranking American official, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gatescyclone victims and that more Burm
Monks Carrying Out Cyclone Relief in Myanmar
Posted on May 31, 2008Getty ImagesAs the Junta fails, the monks work to provide humanitarian assistance
Opposition to US-Iraq Security Agreement
Posted on May 31, 2008Nuri Kamal al-MalikiThe New York Times reports:Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki is facing growing opposition to a proposed security agreement that would set out how long America
It's a Small World . . .
Posted on May 31, 2008Marty LedermanWhile my wife, Tracy, and I were walking the streets of Florence last weekend, together with Catherine Lotrionte and Amit Yoran, we ran into Marty Lederman and
Military Commissions in Turmoil
Posted on May 30, 2008Omar KhadrIn case you missed these sad tales(HT: Neal Sonnett)-- the AP reported yesterday:A U.S. military judge at Guantanamo Bay who once acknowledged facing Pentagon criticism o
More Piracy Off the Coast of Somalia
Posted on May 29, 2008CNN is reporting:Two cargo ships have been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and Somalia, a Kenyan maritime official said Thursday. "The ill-fated vessels under cap
Paul Clement to Teach at Georgetown University Law Center
Posted on May 29, 2008Paul D. ClementThis is excellent news! From the press release:Georgetown University Law Center Dean T. Alexander Aleinikoff is pleased to announce that outgoing U.S. Solicitor Gene
On Kosovo: Graffiti in Florence
Posted on May 28, 2008A number of previous posts (here, here and here, for example) have discussed the legal questions surrounding Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. When we arrived in Fl
Amnesty International Releases 2008 Human Rights Report
Posted on May 28, 2008Irene Kahn, Secretary GeneralAmnesty InternationalAmnesty International has just released its 2008 State of the World's Human Rights Report. In a summary, the
Failing to Reguate the Biotech Trade
Posted on May 27, 2008Reuters is reporting:The world is failing in efforts to control an international biotec
IAEA Report Says Iran Withholding Information
Posted on May 26, 2008Iranian Nuclear Facility in NatanzThe BBC reports: The UN nuclear watchdog has said it believes Iran is still withholding information on its nuclear programme. In a report, th
FARC Leader Reported to be Dead
Posted on May 25, 2008Manuel Marulanda Velez in 2000. CNN is reporting:The leader of Colombia's largest leftist rebel group is dead, a spokesman for the nation's defense ministry said Satu
Mukasey on National Security Lawyers
Posted on May 24, 2008Michael MukaseyAttorney General Michael Mukasey was the graduation speaker at Boston College Law School on Friday (H.T.: Neal Sonnet.). In his address , he made what seems to be a
No Torture. No Exceptions.
Posted on May 23, 2008With a hat tip to Sandy Levinson over at Balkinization, I note that Scott Horton is involved with a campaign entitled "No Torture. No Exceptions." From its we
Canadian Supreme Court Rules in Khadr
Posted on May 23, 2008Omar KhadrNeal Sonnett reports:The Supreme Court of Canada issued its Opinion in the Khadr case today, holding that Canada is "bound by the principles of fundamental justice a
Blogging from Florence
Posted on May 23, 2008Villa Le Balze, Fiesole, ItalyApologies for the blogging hiatus! I have been on the road. For the next three weeks, Christopher Joyner, Catherine Lotrionte, and I will be directing
Myanmar Agrees to Certain Forms of Aid
Posted on May 19, 2008The New York Times is reporting this evening: Myanmar agreed Monday to let its Southeast Asian neighbors help coordinate foreign relief assistance for cyclone victims, bending some
Afghan Student Claims Torture
Posted on May 18, 2008Sayed Parwez KambakhshThe BBC reports: An Afghan student journalist who was sentenced to death for blasphemy has told an appeals court that he confessed after being tortured.
Pressuring the Junta in Myanmar
Posted on May 17, 2008The New York Times is reporting: International pressure on the ruling military junta in Myanmar continued to grow over the weekend as a senior United Nations envoy was due to
Solicitor General Paul Clement to Step Down
Posted on May 16, 2008Paul D. ClementFrom the Justice Department press release:Today, the Department of Justice announced that Solicitor General Paul D. Clement will end his current service to the Depar
Gates on Iran
Posted on May 15, 2008Secretary of Defense Robert GatesThe Washington Post is reporting: The United States should construct a combination of incentives and pressure to engage Iran, and may have misse
Charges Dropped Against Detainee Mohammed al-Qahtani
Posted on May 13, 2008Susan J. CrawfordThe AP is reporting: The Pentagon has dropped charges against a Saudi at Guantanamo who was alleged to have been the so-called "20th hijacker" in the Se
Judge to Review Possible Disclosure of Yoo Memo from 2002
Posted on May 13, 2008U.S. District Judge Alvin K. HellersteinIn case you missed this-- the Washington Post reported: U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the Southern District of New York said
The Military Commission Problem
Posted on May 11, 2008Brig. Gen. Thomas HartmannThe ruling by Military Commission judge Captain Keith Allred disqualifying General Thomas Hartmann as the Legal Advisor in the Hamdan case has been widely
Google Rejects Human Rights Proposals
Posted on May 10, 2008Sergey BrinRobert Murray brings this story in Computerworld to our attention: Google's shareholders, following the advice of the board, voted down two proposals on Thursday that w
"Music for Myanmar" Cyclone Benefit Concert
Posted on May 10, 2008Spencer Bates F.decorate(_ge('photo_notes'), F._photo_notes).notes_go_go_go(2261292779, 'http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2341/2261292779_d5b6118243_t.jpg', '3.1444');
Mutilations in Senegal
Posted on May 08, 2008Map-- BBCThe BBC is reporting: Armed men have cut off the left ears of 16 villagers harvesting cashew nuts in Senegal's rebel-hit Casamance region. "They tied our hands bef
Ambassador Mark Lagon's Talk to the American Society of International Law
Posted on May 08, 2008Ambassador Mark P. LagonAmbassador Mark P. Lagon, Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at the United States Department of State, spoke at a luncheon
Myanmar Pressured by International Community to Accept Humanitarian Assistance
Posted on May 08, 2008Myanmar News Agency, via Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesThe New York Times reports:As hungry, shivering survivors waited among the dead for help after a huge cyclone in
Humanitarian Assistance Arriving in Myanmar
Posted on May 06, 2008Red Cross Workers in YangonMyanmar News Agency, via Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesThe New York Times reports this afternoon:The death toll from a powerful cyclone that s
Victor Cha on China and the Olympics
Posted on May 05, 2008My friend and Georgetown colleague, Victor Cha, has an article in the Summer 2008 issue of the Washington Quarterly entitled, "Bejing's Olympic-Sized Catch-22." This arti
Myanmar Devastation
Posted on May 05, 2008Map-- The New York TimesThe New York Times is now reporting:The death toll from the devastating cyclone in Myanmar over the weekend escalated to nearly 4,000 people on Monday, with
Cyclone Hits Myanmar
Posted on May 04, 2008Yangon, Myanmar Hla Hla Htay/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesReuters is reporting:A cyclone killed more than 350 people in military-ruled Myanmar, ripping thr
Richard Perle on the US and Iraq
Posted on May 04, 2008Richard PerleRichard Perle writes in today's New York Times:THE most important thing we can do to help the Iraqis and ourselves is to recognize — and reverse — the semi
Bainbridge on Bush's Law Day Proclamation
Posted on May 02, 2008President Bush on Thursday My good friend Steve Bainbridge rightly calls President Bush's Law Day Proclamation 'lame." Here is the Proclamation: The right of ordinary men an
Amnesty International Ad on Waterboarding
Posted on May 01, 2008Kevin Reynolds brings this Amnesty International ad to our attention. Pretty powerful.
Turkey Amends Law of Speech Restrictions
Posted on April 30, 2008Orhan PamukThe AP reports:The European Union on Wednesday welcomed a vote by the Turkish Parliament to soften a law restricting free speech. But human rights groups said the law,
Hamdan Walks Out of Military Commision Trial
Posted on April 29, 2008Salim Ahmed HamdanThe AP reports:Osama bin Laden's former driver walked out on his war-crimes tribunal Tuesday, saying he did not believe justice was possible at the U.S. military
Raul Castro and Human Rights
Posted on April 28, 2008Raul CastroReuters is reporting this evening:New Cuban President Raul Castro announced on Monday that all death sentences had been commuted to prison terms of 30 years to life, w
Using Facebook to Find War Crimes Suspects
Posted on April 26, 2008Pamela Nwaoko bring this interesting article from the BBC to our attention: A group hunting war crime suspects has turned to the social networking site Facebook to try to find two
Fear of Genocide in Zimbabwe
Posted on April 24, 2008Robert MugabeThe BBC is reporting: Church leaders in Zimbabwe have called for international action to prevent post-election violence developing into genocidal proportions. Afric
Chinese Ship Does Not Deliver Armaments to Zimbabwe
Posted on April 24, 2008Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change Desmond Kwande/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images In the light of the previous post, this development seem
China and Free Speech
Posted on April 23, 2008Reuters is reporting:A group of Chinese lawyers have sued CNN, saying remarks by commentator Jack Cafferty in which he called Chinese "goons" violated the dignity and r
The ICC's Darfur Investigation
Posted on April 20, 2008Ahmad Muhammad HarunAhmad Muhammad Harun (commonly known as Ahmad Harun) is the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs of Sudan. From 2003-2005, he was Sudanese Minister of Sta
Military Commission Trials to be Broadcast Live to Victims' Families
Posted on April 19, 2008ReutersIn case you missed this, Reuters reported yesterday:The U.S. military will televise the Guantanamo trial of accused September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and five o
Dr. Abiodun Williams Named Vice President at US Institute of Peace
Posted on April 18, 2008F.decorate(_ge('photo_notes'), F._photo_notes).notes_go_go_go(2258241345, 'http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2355/2258241345_164c93bec2_t.jpg', '3.1444'); View tracy
Praying for Democracy in Myanmar
Posted on April 17, 2008Monks Demonstrating in Myanmar, file photo from previous protestThe AP is reporting this morning:Monks who helped lead last year's protests against Myanmar's junta urged the coun
International Law, Human Rights & Comparative Law: Basic Bibliographies
Posted on April 16, 2008Over at Ratio Juris Patrick O'Donnell has recently posted the "third installment of our Directed Reading series [which] features bibliographies for international law, human ri
Jack Goldsmith on the Daily Show
Posted on April 16, 2008Jack GoldsmithIn case you missed Jack Goldsmith on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the video of part one can be found here and part two can be found here.
The British and Pirates
Posted on April 15, 2008Somali PiratesMy old friend Steve Bainbridge reports on some troubling news about the British Foreign Office: THE Royal Navy, once the scourge of brigands on the high seas, has be
Some Good News About Pirates
Posted on April 15, 2008Indonesian forces in July 2007, engaging in anti-pirate practice (Bay Ismoyo/AFP-Getty Images) The previous post discussed recents moves by the British that could limit enforcemen
NEW BLOG: Seeking Asylum from the Mainstream
Posted on April 15, 2008Sabrina Karim recently started a blog-- Seeking Asylum from the Mainstream. The purpose of the blog is to provide "Commentary on Asylum. Force Migration, Civic Engagement, and
The War on Terror
Posted on April 13, 2008Tora Bora Mountains Photo-- Michael FoleyIn case anybody has forgotten, today's New York Times notes:We believe that the fight against Al Qaeda is the central bat
Martha Heinemann Bixby on China and the Olympics
Posted on April 13, 2008Martha Heinemann Bixby, Executive Director, Team DarfurThe previous post noted the role of Martha Heinemann Bixby in the founding of STAND. Today's New York Times quotes her about
STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition
Posted on April 13, 2008Erin Mazursky (left) and fellow human rights advocates F.decorate(_ge('photo_notes'), F._photo_notes).notes_go_go_go(252473741, 'http://farm1.static.flickr.com/84/252473741_f2919
The Colombian Trade Agreement
Posted on April 12, 2008Colombian President Álvaro UribeToday's New York Times has an editorial endorsing the adoption of the the The United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. T
Ambassador Mark P. Lagon on Human Trafficking: The William V. O'Brien Lecture at Georgetown
Posted on April 10, 2008Ambassador Mark P. LagonAmbassador Mark P. Lagon delivered the William V. O'Brien Lecture in International Law and Morality at Georgetown University on Wednesday, April 9th.
More Delays for Guantanamo Detainees
Posted on April 10, 2008Today's New York Times reports more disturbing news regarding Military Commission trials for detaineesat Guantanamo:When military officials announced war crimes charges again
Trials of Former Detainees in Afghanistan
Posted on April 09, 2008Does this trouble anyone? The New York Times is reporting:Dozens of Afghan men who were previously held by the United States at Bagram Air Base and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, are
Dismissed Pakistani Chief Justice Likely to Return
Posted on April 09, 2008Iftikhar Muhammad ChaudhryThe New York Times is reporting:After contradictory signals, and mounting pressure from the country’s lawyers, the new democratic government appears
David Newsom: In Memoriam
Posted on April 07, 2008David D. Newsom From the Washington Post: David D. Newsom, 90, the third-ranking official at the State Department who was a central figure during the Iran hostage crisis of 1980,
Theodore Hesburgh and the Law of the Sea Convention
Posted on April 06, 2008Father Theodore M. HesburghFather Theodore Hesburgh, the legendary former president of Notre Dame University, recently wrote a letter to Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell cal
Does Congress's Authorization to Use Force In Iraq Expire?
Posted on April 05, 2008Yale Professors Bruce Ackerman and Oona Hathaway have a provocative piece in today's Washington Post. They argue that unless the United Nations Security Council adopts another reso
April 4th, 1968: "Shot Rings Out in the Memphis Sky"
Posted on April 04, 2008Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, with Jesse Jackson, Joan Baez, and Ira Sandpearl in 1966 photo- Bob FitchToday marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Mar
Justice Declassifies Another John Yoo OLC Memo
Posted on April 02, 2008John YooThe Washington Post is reporting this evening:Federal laws prohibiting assault and other crimes did not apply to military interrogators who questioned al-Qaeda captives bec
Jack Goldsmith's Advice to the Next President on Legal Policies and the War on Terror
Posted on April 02, 2008Jack L. GoldsmithTeddy Svoronos brings this fascinating piece by Jack Goldsmith to my attention. Writing in Slate, Goldsmith offers some useful advice to the next president regardi
How to Start Your Own State
Posted on March 31, 2008Flag of Transnistria-- a de facto, but not a de jure state? On the lighter side-- check out Joshua Keating's post in Foreign Policy on-line--- "How to Start Your Own Country
Remembering the "Killing Fields": Dith Pran Dies at 65
Posted on March 30, 2008Dith Pran at a museum at Tuol Sleng, Cambodia Photo---SteveMcCurry/Magnum
More on the Destruction of the Tapes and the Detainees
Posted on March 28, 2008CIA Director Michael HaydenMARK MAZZETTI and SCOTT SHANE report in today's New York Times on more potential fallout from the destruction of the CIA interrogatIon tapes. They
Canadian Olympic Swimmer: Don't Boycott Beijing Olympics
Posted on March 26, 2008Nikki DrydenNikki Dryden swam for Canada at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. She is now a human rights lawyer in New York and a board member of Team Darfur. In Embassy, a Canadian forei
Modern-Day Slavery
Posted on March 24, 2008Georgetown's Director of Digital Media and Institute for International Law & Politics Senior Associate Robert Murray brings the story of E. Benjamin Skinner to our attention. S
Serbia Accuses UN of Improper Use of Force
Posted on March 23, 2008Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica Reuters is reporting this morning:Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica on Sunday accused NATO peacekeepers and United Nat
Remembering Abu Ghraib
Posted on March 23, 2008Philip Gourevitch and Errol Morris have an article in the latest issue of the New Yorker telling the story of Army Specialist Sabrina Harman, formerly of the 372nd Military Police
ETA Bombs Police Station in Spain
Posted on March 22, 2008Bombed area of Calahorra, SpainThe BBC is reporting this morning:A car bomb has exploded outside a Guardia Civil barracks in the north of Spain after a warning call from Basque sep
Three Presidential Candidates' State Department Files Were Improperly Accessed
Posted on March 21, 2008Sean McCormack, Assistant Secretary of State for Public AffairsVia the New York Times-- here is the State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack's statmenf from earlier today: MC
More on Naming "Macedonia"
Posted on March 21, 2008A previous post discussed the current controversy over admitting the state known as "Macedonia" to NATO and the EU. Reuters is reporting this morning that there may
More Cyber Attacks from China?
Posted on March 21, 2008The Washington Post reports:Human rights and pro-democracy groups sympathetic to anti-China demonstrators in Tibet are being targeted by sophisticated cyber attacks designed to dis
Bush on Iran's Nuclear Prospects
Posted on March 20, 2008Bush on WednesdayThe Washington Post is reporting this afternoon: President Bush said the Iranian government has "declared they want to have a nuclear weapon to destroy peop
Cyber Attack from China Against the Save Darfur Coalition?
Posted on March 20, 2008The Save Darfur Coalition sent out a press release today indicating that their organization may have been the victim of cyber attacks originating in China. The press release explai
In the Name of the Son: Remembering the War in the Balkans
Posted on March 19, 2008From In the Name of the SonWith the recent tensions over Kosovo's efforts to declare independence, memories of the horrors of Balkans wars of the 1990's are returning. Last year, H
Deterring Terrorists?
Posted on March 17, 2008Michael VickersCan terrorists be deterred? The conventional wisdom is that terrorists are non-state actors that cannot be deterred the same way in which states can. We cannot threa
Dalai Lama Accuses China of "Cultural Genocide"
Posted on March 17, 2008CNN reports:The Dalai Lama on Sunday called for an international probe of China's treatment of Tibet, which he said is causing "cultural genocide" of his people.The exile
Omar Khadr's Lawyers Comment on the Case
Posted on March 17, 2008Lt. Cmdr William Kuebler and Rebecca SnyderOmar Khadr's lawyers Lt. Cmdr William Kuebler and Rebecca Snyder have an op ed in today's Miami Herald discussin the case of their client
Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arugment in More Detainee Cases on March 25th
Posted on March 15, 2008Shawqi Ahmad OmarEven as the Supreme Court considers how to decide Boumediene v. Bush v. Bush/al Odah v. US, the Court will hear oral argument on March 25th in the cases of Munaf
Herr Doktor?
Posted on March 15, 2008"Dr." Ian Thomas BaldwinThis is just bizarre. Yesterday's Washington Post reports:Americans with PhDs beware: Telling people in Germany that you're a doctor could land yo
Alan Dershowitz on "Revising" International Law
Posted on March 14, 2008Alan Dershowitz The Jerusalem Post is reporting that Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz has now turned his sights toward "revising" international law in the wake
Ronald Kessler on the Geneva Convention on POW's
Posted on March 14, 2008Ronald KesslerIn case you missed The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Wednesday, you missed author Ronald Kessler misapplying the Geneva Convention on POW's. The video can be f
More Interrogation Tapes
Posted on March 12, 2008Ali al-MarriThe New York Times reports:The Defense Department is conducting an extensive review of the videotaping of interrogations at military facilities from Iraq to Guant&aacut
Bush: Rewriting History?
Posted on March 11, 2008Earlier today President Bush delivered an address to the 2008 Convention of the National Religious Broad
Torture and Freedom
Posted on March 10, 2008Rev. Dr. Susan Brooks ThistlethwaiteSusan Brooks Thistlethwaite, President of the Chicago Theological Seminary, has a provocative op ed in the Washington Post/Newsweek On Fai
The Andean Crisis: Commentary by Gustavo Flores-Macías and Sarah E. Kreps
Posted on March 09, 2008President Álvaro Uribe of Colombia, left, shaking hands
Interrogation Techniques:Let's Not Reinvent the Wheel
Posted on March 09, 2008A Torture WheelScott Shane has a fascinating article in today's New York Times entitled, "The Unstudied Art of Interrogation." In the wake of the veto of the Intelligence
Bush Vetoes Ban on Harsh Interrogation Techniques
Posted on March 08, 2008President Bush announced his veto of the Intellligence Authorization Act in his weekly radio address today. As previous posts have indicated, this bill contains a provision that wo
Another Attack on the Homeland?
Posted on March 07, 2008General Gene RenuartThe AP is reporting this evening:Al-Qaida terrorists may be plotting more urgently to attack the United States to maintain their credibility and ability to recr
David Edelstein on the Challenges of Military Occupation
Posted on March 07, 2008Our friend and Georgetown colleague, David M. Edelstein, has just published his new book, Occupational Hazards: Successes and Failure in Military Occupation. The Georgetown Unive
Ambassador Mark P. Lagon to Deliver O'Brien Lecture on Human Trafficking at Georgetown, April 9th
Posted on March 07, 2008Ambassador Mark P. LagonAmbassador Mark P. Lagon, Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at the US Department of State will be delivering the William V. O'Br
Yale Kamisar on Torture
Posted on March 05, 2008Yale KamisarWith a Hat Tip to Neal Sonnett-- legendary Professor Yale Kamisar has an excellent piece in the March 10th issue of the National Journal on interrogation techniques. Co
US Launches Missiles into Somalia, Targeting Kenyan Member of al Qaeda
Posted on March 04, 2008Saleh Ali Saleh NabhanThe New York Times reports:American naval forces fired missiles into southern Somalia on Monday, aiming at what the Defense Department called terrorist targ
EU Troops in Chad Engage in Cross-Border Confrontation with Sudanese Forces
Posted on March 04, 2008Map-- BBCThe BBC reports this afternoon:Sudanese forces have clashed with troops from the European Union Force in Chad after they crossed the border into the Darfur region, Sudan s
What's in a Name? Can "Macedonia" Become a Member of NATO?
Posted on March 03, 2008Original Macedonian Flag Design Flag Adopted After Greek ProtestsThe BBC reports:Nato's secretary general is to visit Athens to try to convince Greece not
Security Council Imposes Additional Sanctions on Iran
Posted on March 03, 2008Earlier today, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1803 imposing additional sanctions on Iran. The UN press release explains: Adopting resolution 1803 (2008) by
Will the President Veto Legislation to Limit Interrogation Techniques?
Posted on March 02, 2008The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 contains one very small, but critical provision on interrogation: SEC. 327. LIMITATION ON INTERROGATION TECHNIQUES. (a)
A New Antarctic Power?
Posted on March 01, 2008AntarcticaThe New York Times reports this morning:Venezuelan scientists and military officers reached the Antarctica after a 15-day trip, opening the South American nation's first
Cuba Signs International Human Rights Covenants
Posted on February 29, 2008Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez RoqueThe New York Times reports today: At the United Nations, Cuba’s foreign minister, Felipe Pérez Roque, signed the Inter
EU Parliament Holds Hearing on Human Rights and Guantánamo Bay
Posted on February 29, 2008With a hat tip to Neal Sonnett --the European Parliament's website reports: A joint hearing on human rights and Guantánamo Bay was held on Thursday at the European Parliame
America's Role in the World: Foreign Policy Choices for the Next President
Posted on February 28, 2008Casimir Yost, Director, Institute for theStudy of DiplomacyYesterday, Georgetown's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy issued a report entitled, America's Role in the World: Forei
Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic on Kosovo
Posted on February 27, 2008Vuk Jeremic Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic has an op ed in today's New York Times criticizing the recent recognitions of Kosovo. He writes: The case against recognitio
Marty Lederman on the Office of Professional Responsibility Investigation
Posted on February 27, 2008Marty Lederman has an interesting take on the investigation by Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility into the legal advice provided by OLC on the treatment of detainees.
UN Security Council Likely to Impose New Sanctions on Iran
Posted on February 27, 2008Zalmay KhalilzadThe AP reports this evening:The U.N. Security Council will approve new sanctions against Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment -- but the timing is uncert
Russian First Deputy Premier on Kosovo
Posted on February 25, 2008Dmitry A. Medvedev, Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Photo-- James Hill for The New York Times The New York Times reports:Dmitri A. Medvedev, Russia’s first deputy pri
The Old CIA
Posted on February 24, 2008Patrice LumumbaSunday's New York Times has a chilling profile of a man from a different age in America's history. Larry Devlin is 85 now, suffering from emphysema and tethered to a
Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility Investigating Legal Advice on Interrogation
Posted on February 23, 2008The New York Times reports:The Justice Department revealed Friday that its internal ethics office was investigating the department’s legal approval for waterboarding of Qaeda
Chris Borgen on Kosovo and Defining a "People"
Posted on February 22, 2008Professor Christopher J. BorgenOver at Opinio Juris Chris Borgen has an excellent post on the problem of defining a "people" under international law. In an earlier
Charles E. Pirtle on Kosovo
Posted on February 21, 2008KFOR Soldiers at a checkpoint on the borderMy great friend, Dr. Charles E. Pirtle, is a legend at Georgetown University. He taught political geography at Georgetown for over
What if Russia Pursues the Military Option in Kosovo?
Posted on February 19, 2008NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR) Commander,Lieutenant General Xavier de MarnhacAs previous posts have indicated, there are already serious diplomatic consqeunces associated with the many r
The Consequences of Recognizing Kosovo
Posted on February 18, 2008Joseph K. GrieboskiJoseph K. Grieboski reports:In Moscow, the Russian upper and lower house of Parliament on Monday released a joint statement signaling an intention to recognize a
US Formally Recognizes Kosovo as Independent State
Posted on February 18, 2008Kissing the Albanian Flag, which appears to be the symbol ofKosovo's independence Photo-New York TimesIn a press statement released by the Department of Sta
Bush: Kosovars are Independent
Posted on February 18, 2008Bush in ArushaReuters reports this morning:President Bush said Monday that the people of Kosovo are independent though he stopped short of formal recognition of the territory's ind
The Legality of Kosovo's Declaration of Independence
Posted on February 17, 2008Kosovo Flag Adopted by ParliamentAs noted in the previous post, Kosovo formally declared its independence from Serbia today. As mentioned in that post, the legality of secession
Kosovo Declares Independence
Posted on February 17, 2008Photo-- Andrew Testa for The New York TimesI guess this is no surprise. The New York Times reports today:The former Serbian province of Kosovo declared independence on Sunday, sen
Bradbury on Waterboarding: It doesn't last long enough to be torture
Posted on February 16, 2008Last Thursday, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel Steven Bradbury testified before House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights,
Al Qaeda in Iraq Apparently Recruiting Mental Challenged Suicide Bombers
Posted on February 15, 2008Man injured in pet market bombing on February 1 CNN is reporting something truly disturbing: Al Qaeda in Iraq is recruiting female patients at Baghdad's two psychiatric h
Contractors for Africa
Posted on February 13, 2008Photo-- LUIS LIWANAG/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Foreign Policy Blog reports: The White House quietly revealed this week that the United States is cutting $193 million in funding fo
Justice Scalia on Physical Interrogation
Posted on February 12, 2008Justice Scalia, Bob Child/The Associated PressIn case you missed this, the BBC reports: Justice Antonin Scalia told the BBC that "smacking someone in the face" could b
Towards a More Standardized Rule of Compensation?
Posted on February 11, 2008ExxonMobil and Venezuela--under the leadership of Hugo Chavez--have been pushing forward greater standardization of the rule of compensation through their most recent business di
Military Prosecutors Reportedly Seeking the Death Penalty for 6 Detainees
Posted on February 10, 2008Khalid Shaikh MohammedMonday's New York Times is reporting: Military prosecutors have decided to seek the death penalty for six Guantánamo detainees who are to be charged w
Report: Russia ?ditching Cold War pacts?
Posted on February 07, 2008Russian President Putin and US President Bush sign SORT, better known as the Moscow Treaty, in 2002. (Public domain – US Federal Govt)The International Institute for St
Japan Resumes Whaling
Posted on February 06, 2008Minke WhaleThe AP is reporting this morning:Japan has resumed its annual whale hunt in waters near Antarctica now that anti-whaling a
Iran Bans Public Executions and the Publication of Photos and Footage of Executions
Posted on February 06, 2008Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi ShahroudiThe Guardian reports:Iran's judiciary chief moved to curb the increasingly common spectacle of public executions yesterday by banning the practic
White House Admits Waterboarding
Posted on February 06, 2008It is a sad day for America. The White House officially acknowledged that the United States has waterboarding three detainees-- Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Ra
Security Council Calls for Action in Chad, Cease Fire Reported
Posted on February 05, 2008Chad's President, Idriss DerbyIn case you missed this, the President of the United Nations Security Council issued the following statement on Monday: “The Security Council e
Global Incident Map.com
Posted on February 04, 2008Our friend and collegue, Bob Beck, brings the GlobalIncidentmap.com to our attention. Bob writes:This fascinating website features a World Map that displa
Fighting in Chad
Posted on February 03, 2008Ndjamena, ChadPhoto-- Sonia Rolley/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesIn case you missed this, the situation in Chad has been worsening the past two days. Monday's New York T
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon: "The killing must stop"
Posted on February 01, 2008Ban Ki-moon and Kofi AnnanReuters reports this morning:U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in Kenya to give clout to diplomatic efforts to end a month of post-poll turmoil, urged
Second Kenyan Opposition Leader Killed; France Calls for Security Council Action
Posted on February 01, 2008The New York Times is reporting this morning:A second Kenyan opposition lawmaker was shot dead on Thursday, and riots immediately exploded in opposition strongholds, putting the co
Mukasey on Waterboarding
Posted on January 31, 2008Michael MukaseyYesterday, Attorney General Michael Mukasey testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and, not suprisingly, was repeatedly question about whether waterboardin
US Envoy: Kenyan Violence is Ethnic Cleansing
Posted on January 30, 2008Kenyan men from the Luo tribe armed withmachetes and rocks enforce a makeshift roadblock AP Photo / Ben Curtis The situation in Kenya continues to deteriorate. In
Colombia Ratifies the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
Posted on January 30, 2008Ambassador Rosso Jose Serrano Cadena,Colombian Perm. Rep. to the CTBTOOur friend and colleague Doug Shaw posts over at Nuks On a Blog: Earthtimes reports this morning that Colombi
Mugabe Were, Kenyan Opposition Leader, Killed
Posted on January 29, 2008Photo-- Jon Hrusa/European Pressphoto AgencyThe New York Times is reporting very sad news:Mugabe Were, a freshman parliamentarian, could have been one of the keys to unlocking Keny
Invoking State Secrets Claims
Posted on January 29, 2008SOURCE: Robert Chesney, George Washington Law Review| The Washington Post - January 29, 2008Tuesday's Washington Post reports:The U.S. government has been increasing its use of the
Gordon Brown on Re-Imagining the International System
Posted on January 29, 2008Gordon BrownYou might have missed this-- On the January 20th, British Prime Minster Gordon Brown delivered at speech at the Chamber of Commerce in Delhi. In the speech, Brown
Violence Continues to Spread Kenya
Posted on January 28, 2008Kofi Annan and Kenyan President KibakiThe Washington Post reports:The toll from five days of fighting between rival tribal gangs across western Kenya rose to at least 85 Monday, as
Wolfowitz Appointed Chair of the International Security Advisory Board
Posted on January 25, 2008Paul WolfowitzThe State Department issued the following press release Thursday:The Department of State is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Paul Wolfowitz as the Chairman
Steven Bradbury Re-nominated to be Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel
Posted on January 24, 2008Steven BradburyThis is most unfortunate. The New York Times reports:President Bush on Wednesday renominated Steven G. Bradbury to be an assistant attorney general in a move certai
Mark Vlasic on International Justice
Posted on January 22, 2008Mark VlasicIn case you missed it, Institute for International Law & Politics Senior Fellow Mark Vlasic was recently interviewed about war crimes and international justice on Bl
Were the Killings in Kenya Planned?
Posted on January 21, 2008Map- New York TimesToday's New York Times reports:At first the violence seemed as spontaneous as it was shocking, with machete-wielding mobs hacking people to death and burning wom
Martin Luther King on a "Career of Humanity"
Posted on January 20, 2008Nearly a half-century ago, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. told a group of students--Whatever career you may choose for yourself -- doctor, lawyer, teacher -- let me propose a
"The Commander in Chief at the Lowest Ebb"
Posted on January 20, 2008Justice Robert JacksonOur Georgetown Law Center colleague Marty Lederman and his former OLC colleague, David Barron, have been working on two articles dealing with the
Tom Ridge: "Waterboarding is Torture"
Posted on January 19, 2008Tom RidgeIn case you missed this, the AP reports:The first secretary of homeland security says waterboarding is torture. “There’s just no doubt in my mind — under
Rwandan MPs: ?Genocide Ideology? Still Taught in Schools
Posted on January 18, 2008The BBC reports that Rwanda’s education minister is under fire from MPs who accuse the government of failing to eliminate the teaching of “genocide ideology” in R
CIA Says Pakistani Tribal Leader Baitullah Mehsud Behind Bhutto's Death
Posted on January 18, 2008Baitullah MehsudThe AP is reporting this morning:The CIA believes a Pakistani tribal leader's network was behind the assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto,
More Violence In Kenya
Posted on January 17, 2008Simon Maina/Agence France-Presse--Getty ImagesThe New York Times reports:Opposition protests resumed in Kenya on Wednesday, and as many people here feared, violence erupted across
Jose Rodriguez May Have been Told Not to Destroy the CIA Interrogation Tapes
Posted on January 16, 2008Acting CIA General Counsel John RizzoThursday's New York Times is reporting that Jose Rodriquez may have been specifically advised not to destroy the interrogation tapes:The former
Gen. Barry McCaffrey on "Moral Fissures in the Armed Forces."
Posted on January 15, 2008Gen. Barry McCaffreyYou may very well have missed this--in December of 2007, Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey visited Iraq and Kuwait. Following his visit, he submitted an after action rep
Counterterrorism and the Criminal Justice System
Posted on January 13, 2008John FarmerFormer New Jersey Attorney General and Senior Counsel to the 9/11 Commission, John Farmer, has a provocative op ed in today's New York Times on the seeming incompa
DNI McConnell Discusses Waterboarding
Posted on January 13, 2008DNI Michael McConnellThe press is reporting widely on an interview granted by Director of National Intelligence, Michael McConnell, in which he expressed his own views on waterbo
Musharraf Opposes Unilateral US Action Against al Qaeda
Posted on January 12, 2008Pervez MusharrafIn the wake of recent reports of possible US covert missions in Pakistan, today's New York Times reports about a Friday interview with President Musharraf in the Th
Blackwater Used Riot Control Gas in Iraq in 2005
Posted on January 10, 2008Blackwater WorldwideIn case you missed this, today's New York Times reports on the use of CS gas-- a riot control agent-- by Blackwater employees in Iraq in 2005. The Times explain
The Cause of Kenya's Problems: A Weak Legislature
Posted on January 09, 2008Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki (Photo: Sayyid Azim - AP)Our future Georgetown colleague, Matt Kroenig and Steven Fish, have an op-ed in today's Washington Post arguing that the roo
Sudanese Troops Fire on UN Peacekeepers in Darfur
Posted on January 09, 2008The New York Times is reporting:Sudanese soldiers shot at a convoy of United Nations peacekeepers in Darfur, critically wounding a local driver and destroying a fuel tanker barely
Charles Taylor's War Crimes Trial Resumes
Posted on January 07, 2008Charles TaylorToday's New York Times reports:The war crimes trial of Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, resumed Monday as prosecutors opened their case, with testimo
US Reportedly Considering Covert Action in Pakistan
Posted on January 06, 2008Graphic-- The New York TimesToday's New York Times is reporting on a meeting that is claimed to have taken place on Friday to discuss possible covert actions in Pakistan:President
Is Genocide Taking Place in Kenya?
Posted on January 05, 2008Crowds in Kenya Professor Josh Ruxin of the Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health says "no." In yesterday's New York Times, Ruxin blogs:Some are seeing, with ala
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