Law Commons^™

The Army's G-Rap Fiasco: How The Lives And Careers Of Hundreds Of Innocent Soldiers Were Destroyed, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

The purpose of this article is three-fold. First, this article seeks to explore the legal and policy ramifications of the CID's multi-year criminal investigation, which targeted vast numbers of innocent Army National Guard and Army Reserve personnel for alleged criminality as contract employees in the G-RAP or AR-RAP.

Second, this article aims to highlight the CID's longstanding practice referred to as "titling"-of refusing to delete from their system of records those individuals that are subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing by their commands. This highly dubious administrative practice was particularly devastating to the hundreds of innocent and fully exonerated participants in …

Game Of Bombs: President Barack Obama’S Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

One of President Barack Obama’s favorite solutions to reducing armed conflict in the world centers around his desire to rid the world of nuclear weapons. While this simplistic formula has certainly been voiced by other occupants of the oval office, the world is, and always has been, an extremely dangerous place, and the machinations of competing spheres of power will always exist in human history. Coupled with an aggressive Russia and China, the dangers associated with the new era of radical Islamic extremism rubricate the need to view the naiveté of President Obama’s vision of a planet without nuclear weapons …

Using A Civil Suit To Punish/Deter Sponsors Of Terrorism: Connecting Arafat & The Plo To The Terror Attacks In The Second Intifada, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

Civil litigation has fantastic potential to punish acts of terror and to deter future acts. However, there exists a conundrum regarding the establishment of the factual connection between the regime that secretly sponsors or supports terror and the actual acts of terror. To hold a regime responsible for terrorism, accountability must be established.

The ongoing civil action of Sokolow v. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) perfectly illustrates this dilemma—on the one hand the offending regime disavows acts of terror while on the other hand it secretly supports and orchestrates terror. However, Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian National Assembly (PNA), …

Targeted Killing - Death By Drone, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

Following the targeted killing of American born al-Qa’eda leader, Anwar al -Awlaki, targeted killings of American citizens has been a hotly contested issue. A targeted killing is defined as the “intentional, premeditated and deliberate use of lethal force, by states or their agents acting . . . against a specific individual who is not in the physical custody of the perpetrator.” The rule of law that justifies a state killing another human rests in either the law of war or the legal right of self-defense.

The term targeted killing is most often associated with the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles …

The Strange Case Of Lieutenant Waddell: How Overly Restrictive Rules Of Engagement Adversely Impact The American War Fighter And Undermine Military Victory, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

A rules of engagement (“ROE”) Review Board should be created in order to provide an impartial review process for service members facing adverse administrative action for violations of ROE. Politicians defining the ROE, rather than military experts, create rules that are so restrictive and confusing that they ultimately run counter to the military objective of victory. A violation of a ROE can be a criminal offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, but violations are issued arbitrarily, and often the military does not charge the service member with a crime, instead using adverse administrative measures to impose punishment.

While …

Rightly Dividing The Domestic Jihadist From The Enemy Combatant In The “War Against Al-Qaeda” – Why It Matters In Rendition And Targeted Killings, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

The United States must be able to distinguish between common criminals and unlawful enemy combatants and then apply the appropriate rule of law to each category with unabashed clarity.

The confusion associated with comprehending fundamental legal concepts associated with how America conducts the "War on Terror" centers around the unwillingness of the U.S. government to properly distinguish al-Qaeda unlawful enemy combatants from domestic jihadi terrorists. Instead, the terms "domestic terrorist," "domestic jihadist," or just "terrorist," are frequently employed to describe all categories of actors--unlawful enemy combatants as well as common criminals--leaving both domestic and international audiences puzzled as to what …

Labeling Mexican Cartels As Terrorist Organizations, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

Given the increased danger to persons, property, and civil order posed by Mexican drug cartels, some have asked whether these cartels can be categorized as terrorist organizations. While a legal argument might be crafted for designating the drug cartels as such, the failure of the international community to provide a universal definition of the term coupled with the negative connotations associated with America’s war on the terrorist network al-Qa’eda discourages such a move.

If Mexican drug cartels are labeled by American officials as “terrorists,” many would immediately assume that the correct rule of law that the United States might employ …

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Calls For National Identity Card To Halt Illegal Immigration, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

Rising concerns for security and integrity have caused the federal government to revisit the issue of who is allowed into the United States. Each year, tens of millions of visas are granted to foreign nationals for reasons varying from education, travel, to even conducting business. Of paramount concern is that about forty percent of the nation’s undocumented immigrants are those who have overstayed their visas. While millions overstay their visas, millions more continue to pour across an open border from Mexico. One proposal made by the Senate to halt or slow illegal immigration is the creation of a national identity …

Efficacy Of The Obama Policies To Combat Al-Qa’Eda, The Taliban, And Associated Forces—The First Year, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

In President Obama’s first year in office, he failed in combating al-Qa’eda, the Taliban, and associated forces. President Obama wished to change the perception on the ‘War on Terror’ established by the Bush Administration, but instead created more confusion and frustration in an attempt to change old policies.

Most notably, President Obama refused to irrevocably and sternly tell the American public that the conflict with al-Qa’eda was indeed a war. The Bush Administration’s first action taken after 9/11 was the pronouncement that the United States was at war. President Obama instead referred to the conflict as an “overseas contingency operation.” …

American Punitive Damages Vs. Compensatory Damages In Promoting Enforcement In Democratic Nations Of Civil Judgments To Deter State-Sponsors Of Terrorism, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

The primary consequence of the attacks on 9/11 on the U.S. was a fundamental legal shift in the approach that the U.S. has taken when confronting terrorism and the States that support them. The new challenge of the post 9/11 approach focused on ways to effectively combat not only terrorist organizations but also the States that sponsor them. This new thinking demands that Western democracies adopt an internationally based functional legal methodology that can deter rogue States from sponsoring terrorism.

Civil litigation against States that sponsor or support terrorism is a potential legal tool which could be used with great …

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Class Of 2011 Incoming Il Law Students, St. Mary's University School Of Law, St. Mary's University School Of Law

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Photographs of incoming law students for the St. Mary’s University School of Law, class of 2011

The Protect America Act Of 2007: A Framework For Improving Intelligence Collection In The War On Terror, Jeffrey F. Addicott, Michael T. Mccaul

Faculty Articles

The most important weapon in the War on Terror is intelligence. The Protect America Act of 2007, a modification of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), was favored by Congress for providing a positive framework for ensuring the proper rule of law kept pace with changes in technology. FISA closed the intelligence gaps that had arisen because of the application of the Act to foreign persons in foreign countries.

FISA codifies in federal law the procedures associated with how electronic surveillance and searches of acquisition of foreign intelligence is conducted. In order to conduct electronic surveillance, a court order must …

The Political Question Doctrine And Civil Liability For Contracting Companies On The “Battlefield”, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

While the use of civilian contractors to support military operations is not a new phenomenon, their use in the War on Terror is unprecedented. The numbers of civilian contractors in active combat zones and the specific activities they perform have significant legal and policy ramifications.

Recent case law associated with civil complaints brought in American courts against contracting companies operating in battlefield environments has given rise to a “political question” doctrine. This doctrine excludes from judicial review all controversies involving policy choices and other value determinations that the Constitution reserves to the Congress and the Executive for resolution.

Due to …

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Terrorism Law, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

The hard reality is that the United States has declared war on a tactic—terror. The nation must accept lawful force as the only tool that will allow us to win the war against our enemy. The “War on Terror” is unlike anything the people of the United States have seen or fought before. The issue is: Are we at war, or is this simply a metaphor like the “war on drugs” or the “war on poverty?” The Act of Congress signed by President George W. Bush was the first legal document that began to answer this inquiry. The 2006 Military …

Contractors On The “Battlefield”: Providing Adequate Protection, Anti-Terrorism Training, And Personnel Recovery For Civilian Contractors Accompanying The Military In Combat And Contingency Operations, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

American civilian employees serving overseas in hostile environments are dying because their parent companies and the U.S. military are failing to provide adequate protection, antiterrorism (“AT”) training, or both. Contractors must be properly informed, trained, and equipped not only to understand their own rights and obligations, but also to understand those of the U.S. military and the parent contractor company because of the physical dangers inherent in such asymmetrical conflicts. Specified AT training is not a mandatory component of contractor deployment, leaving many contract personnel ill-prepared and under-equipped to operate in locations plagued by the threat of car bombs, suicide …

The Misuse Of Religion In The Global War On Terrorism, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

A brief review of human history reveals that various individuals, groups and nations have used religious dogma as a pretext to engage in aggression against others. As such, it is no surprise that the Islamic radicalism that fuels the Global War on Terrorism employs what it calls the “true” Moslem religion in order to cloak a lust for domination through despicable expressions of unlawful violence, primarily targeting innocent civilians.

On the other hand, when it comes to confronting the forces of al-Qa’eda-styled aggression, it is not surprising that democracies like the United States also employ religious ideology and symbolism to …

The Abu Ghraib Story, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

The purpose of this Article is to examine the facts associated with the prison abuse at Abu Ghraib and to discuss the applicable legal and policy lessons learned as a result of the scandal. Was the prison abuse a reflection of a systemic policy—either de jure or de facto—on the part of the United States to illegally extract information from detainees or was the abuse simply isolated acts of criminal behavior on the part of a handful of soldiers amplified by an incompetent tactical chain of command at the prison facility?

The Practice Of Rendition In The War On Terror, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

It is imperative that discussion of emotionally charged issues such as torture or illegal rendition focus on the governing legal standards. The dilemma that confronts the United States and its allies is al-Qa'eda--not a nation-state but a virtual state. Therefore, the rules for fighting the War on Terror face challenges not yet fully appreciated or anticipated by international law, let alone domestic law. The primary international instrument dealing with illegal rendition is the 1984 United Nations Convention Against Torture, and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Torture Convention).

It is necessary to first define the terms "torture" and …

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Military Justice At Abu Ghraib, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

Previous efforts to denigrate the credibility of U.S. war policies in the War on Terror pale in the wake of the prisoner abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib. Photographic evidence of American soldiers abusing detainees created a firestorm of allegations concerning illegal interrogation practices and threatened to derail fundamental legal and policy pillars upon which America conducts the War on Terror. It raised the question of whether the prison abuse reflected a systemic policy to illegally obtain information from detainees or isolated acts of criminal behavior by a handful of soldiers. Thanks to several investigative reports, the legal and policy pillars …

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Law And Bioterrorism By Victoria Sutton (Book Review), Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

The best primer for constructing a legal framework surrounding bioterrorism is a wonderfully researched and incisive book by Professor Victoria Sutton. Sutton brings a vast background of experience and expertise to her book, titled Law and Bioterrorism, which is in fact the first legal textbook in the field of law and bioterrorism.

The book begins with a brief examination of the history of law and bioterrorism, from ancient biological warfare to modern times. Drawing upon the lessons of this history, Sutton discusses historical events such as the use of anthrax in World War I, and further examines the rapidly growing …

Proposal For A New Executive Order On Assassination, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

Both clarity and respect for the rule of law demands that a new executive order on assassination be enacted that properly defines the term “assassination” and is couched in the legal parameters of self-defense. In prosecuting the War on Terror, the United States has confronted myriad issues concerning how best to deal with the new threat of al-Qaida-styled terrorism and those rogue nations that support terrorism. The two principle documents associated with these concerns are the National Security Strategy of the United States of America ("National Security Strategy") released by the White House on September 17, 2002 and Executive Order …

Into The Star Chamber: Does The United States Engage In The Use Of Torture Or Similar Illegal Practices In The War On Terror, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

Because of the dangers presented by al-Qaeda style terrorism, the United States has crafted a variety of robust anti-terrorism responses. One of the more controversial of these is the indefinite detention of suspected enemy combatants, and the associated question as to whether the United States can and does employ torture.

Many prominent voices, such as Professor Alan Dershowitz, have advocated a judicial exception allowing torture as an interrogation tool in special instances, but the United States has struggled to find an appropriate balance between civil liberties and security concerns. To succeed in the War on Terror, the U.S. cannot allow …

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Legal And Policy Implications For A New Era: The War On Terror, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

The attacks on September 11, 2001 marked the beginning of the War on Terror. A conclusive body of evidence pointed directly to al-Qa’eda’s terrorist organization as the perpetrators of the arrack and to Afghanistan’s Taliban as the State-supporter of the terrorist organization. Al-Qa’eda terrorists use religion, most often radical Islamic fundamentalism, to justify the mass murder of innocent individuals–demonstrating they have no regard for human life, let alone the human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. Armed with the Congressional Joint Resolution, United Nations (“U.N.”) Resolution 1368, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (“NATO”) Resolution, the United States and its …

Storm Clouds On The Horizon Of Darwinism: Teaching The Anthropic Principle And Intelligent Design In The Public Schools, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Faculty Articles

Professor Addicott’s article addresses the future legal ramifications that the fledgling intelligent design movement and the scientific concept known as the Anthropic Principle will have on the teaching of Darwinian evolution in public schools. Both ideas are associated with the concept that an “unnamed” intelligent designer is responsible for the creation and sustainment of life. Predicting that the Supreme Court will ultimately allow, for instance, school boards to incorporate intelligent design in the science curriculum, he believes neither of the two ideas violate the Establishment Clause and cannot be “dismissed as yet another back door attempt by creationists to get …