In this article, Anthony Pfaff discusses what ethical norms should govern proxy war and the relationships that sustain them; the way the existence of a benefactor-proxy relationship complicates the application of traditional jus ad bellum criteria; and the additional moral problems caused by the way proxy wars shift risk away from benefactors. He concludes by… Continue reading Proxy War Ethics
Category: International Law
Understanding the Challenge of Legal Interoperability in Coalition Operations
In coalition operations, individual States may be responsible in law for some, but not all, of the activities conducted, and coalition members will often have different legal obligations or varying interpretations of the same obligations. In this article, David S. Goddard explores the challenges of achieving legal interoperability—the effective managing of these differences— and suggests… Continue reading Understanding the Challenge of Legal Interoperability in Coalition Operations
Assessing US Justifications for Using Force in Response to Syria’s Chemical Attacks: An International Law Perspective
Michael Schmitt and Christopher Ford unpack the Trump Administration’s legal justifications for the April 2017 United States attack on a Syrian airfield in response to its use of chemical weapons against civilians. Schmitt and Ford discuss three possible legal bases for the use of force: self-defense, response to an internationally wrongful act, and humanitarian intervention.… Continue reading Assessing US Justifications for Using Force in Response to Syria’s Chemical Attacks: An International Law Perspective