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Full-Text Articles in Law

To Kill Or Capture Suspects In The Global War On Terror, Mary Ellen O'Connell Nov 2013

To Kill Or Capture Suspects In The Global War On Terror, Mary Ellen O'Connell

Mary Ellen O'Connell

Presents a speech by law professor Mary Ellen O'Connell, delivered at the Case Western Reserve School of Law's War Crimes Research Symposium, February 28, 2003. Legal implications of pursuing terror suspects using military action by the U.S. government; Components of armed conflict; Analysis of the United States' involvement in the internal armed conflict in the Philippines.


The Choice Of Law Against Terrorism, Mary Ellen O'Connell Nov 2013

The Choice Of Law Against Terrorism, Mary Ellen O'Connell

Mary Ellen O'Connell

The Obama administration has continued to apply the wartime paradigm first developed by the Bush administration after 9/11 to respond to terrorism. In cases of trials before military commissions, indefinite detention, and targeted killing, the U.S. has continued to claim wartime privileges even with respect to persons and situations far from any battlefield. This article argues that both administrations have made a basic error in the choice of law. Wartime privileges may be claimed when armed conflict conditions prevail as defined by international law. These privileges are not triggered by declarations or policy preferences.


The Legal Case Against The Global War On Terror, Mary Ellen O'Connell Nov 2013

The Legal Case Against The Global War On Terror, Mary Ellen O'Connell

Mary Ellen O'Connell

No abstract provided.


Lawful Self-Defense To Terrorism, Mary Ellen O'Connell Nov 2013

Lawful Self-Defense To Terrorism, Mary Ellen O'Connell

Mary Ellen O'Connell

No abstract provided.


Enhancing The Status Of Non-State Actors Through A Global War On Terror?, Mary Ellen O'Connell Nov 2013

Enhancing The Status Of Non-State Actors Through A Global War On Terror?, Mary Ellen O'Connell

Mary Ellen O'Connell

Soon after September 11, President Bush declared a global war on terrorism and members of terrorist groups "combatants." These declarations are not only generally inconsistent with international law; they also reverse the trend regarding the legal status of international non-state actors. For decades, law-abiding non-state actors, such as international humanitarian aid organizations, enjoyed ever-expanding rights on the international plane. Professor Schachter observed how this trend came at the expense of the nation-state. He also predicted, however, that the nation-state would not fade away any time soon. And, by the late Twentieth Century, the trend toward enhanced status was noticeably slowing. …


Affirming The Ban On Harsh Interrogation, Mary Ellen O'Connell Nov 2013

Affirming The Ban On Harsh Interrogation, Mary Ellen O'Connell

Mary Ellen O'Connell

Beginning in 2002, lawyers for the Bush Administration began producing the now infamous legal memoranda on the subject of interrogation. The memoranda advise interrogators that they can torture people without fear of prosecution in connection with the so-called global war on terror. Much has been and will be written about the expedient and erroneous legal analysis of the memos. One issue at risk of being overlooked, however, because the memos emphasize torture, is that the United States must respect limits far short of torture in the conduct of interrogations. The United States may not use any form of coercion against …


When Is A War Not A War? The Myth Of The Global War On Terror, Mary Ellen O'Connell Nov 2013

When Is A War Not A War? The Myth Of The Global War On Terror, Mary Ellen O'Connell

Mary Ellen O'Connell

It is essential to correctly classify situations in the world as ones of war or peace: human lives depend on the distinction, but so do liberty, property, and the integrity of the natural environment. President Bush's war on terror finds war where suspected members of al Qaeda are found. By contrast, war under international law exists where hostilities are on-going. To the extent there is ambiguity, the United States should err on the side of pursuing terrorists within the peacetime criminal law enforcement paradigm, not a wartime one. Not only does the criminal law better protect important human rights and …