Military, War, and Peace Commons^™

Special Issue: The Law Of Armed Conflict, Ben Wahlhaus Major, International Law Department, Hannah Lidicker Editor In Chief

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Few areas of international law are as consequential as the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC). At its very core, it entails an endeavor to regulate death and destruction both for those who participate in a conflict and for those who are simply affected by the conflict.

LOAC is also of continued relevance. The number of armed conflicts around the world does not seem to be on the wane, and thus there is no shortage of situations in which LOAC remains applicable.

Just as the law retains its consequence and relevance, the study of LOAC retains its importance. Old questions warrant …

We're Not In Beersheba Anymore: Discussing Contemporary Challenges In The Law Of Armed Conflict With 120 International Lawyers, Sharon Afek Brigadier General

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This first-hand account encapsulates the nature of the Battle of Beersheba. It saw uniformed soldiers fight other uniformed soldiers from an organized and hierarchical military. The battle took place in the open terrain of the desert. There was a clear frontline, entirely separate from the civilian life in the nearby town of Beersheba. The battle, and the wider war of which it was a part, was clearly delineated in its start and end. The Battle of Beersheba enabled the Allied forces to break the Ottoman line and advance northwards, eventually beating out the Ottoman Empire and permanently changing the geopolitical …

Proportionality In Military Force At War's Multiple Levels: Averting Civilian Casualties Vs. Safeguarding Soldiers, Ziv Bohrer, Mark Osiel

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

To what lengths may a state go to protect its soldiers in war? May it design its military operations to further that goal if this significantly increases civilian casualties? International law currently offers no clear answers. Because recent wars have seen many states prioritize soldier safety over avoiding civilian casualties, spirited debate has arisen over the legal defensibility of this practice. This debate currently focuses on an ethics code proposed by two influential Israeli thinkers and allegedly embodied in Israel's conduct of its 2008-2009 Gaza war with Hamas. This Article shows that current discussion fails to appreciate how judgments about …

A Chink In The Armor: How A Uniform Approach To Proportionality Analysis Can End The Use Of Human Shields, Margaret T. Artz

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The appropriate response to human shields is a recurring issue in modern warfare. Technological asymmetry, disparate obligations, and doctrinal divergence between state and nonstate adversaries combine to make civilians account for 84 percent of combat deaths. Just as a slot machine entices a gambler though he rarely wins, the international community's inconsistent response to human shields has placed shield users on an intermittent reinforcement schedule, thereby ensuring that this tactic remains part of insurgent strategy. Long-term protection of civilians requires eliminating this tactic. Principles of behavior science indicate that an effective way to do so is to uniformly remove its …

The Threat Of Force As An Action In Self-Defense Under International Law, James A. Green, Francis Grimal

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Self-defense is a universally accepted exception to the prohibition of the use of force in international law, and it has been subjected to careful academic scrutiny. The prohibition of the threat of force, although equally important in terms of its normative status to the prohibition on use, has attracted far less academic commentary to date. This Article examines the relationship between the two prohibitions--of the use and threat of force--and considers the largely unexplored possibility of states utilizing a threat of force as a means of lawful defensive response: self-defense in the form of a threat. The status of this …

Avoid Or Compensate? Liability For Incidental Injury To Civilians Inflicted During Armed Conflict, Yael Ronen

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Under international law, civilians suffering injuries that are incidental to a lawful attack on a military objective are left to bear the cost of their losses. In recent years there have been calls for a change in policy that would entitle victims of military attacks to compensation, even if their losses are incidental and non-fault-based. This Article explores the notion of such a quasi-strict liability rule, which is likely to disrupt the existing balance of powers and interests under the laws of armed conflict. Following an exploration of the conceptual basis for such an obligation, the Article examines the effect …

Sanctions, Countermeasures, And The Iranian Nuclear Issue, N. J. Calamita

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The international community's response to Iran's nuclear development program highlights the sometimes complex legal relationship between the UN system of collective security and the rights of states to take unilateral countermeasures under the law of state responsibility. It also raises a number of important questions about (a) the discretion afforded to states in the interpretation and implementation of Security Council resolutions, (b) the availability of countermeasures for the violation of multilateral obligations, and (c) the exclusivity of the Chapter VII framework for collective security.

This Article argues that, while the Security Council's Iran sanctions resolutions do not grant discretionary authority …

The Use Of Force And (The State Of) Necessity, Andreas Laursen

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, debates about international law and the use of force have gained new momentum. This is due to the armed conflicts in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq as well as the publication of two recent security strategies by the U.S. government. These strategies consider the possibility of preemptive use of force and have received considerable criticism from international law scholars. Professor Laursen asks whether the necessity excuse in international law allows for preemptive strikes of the sort envisioned by the U.S. security strategies. Following an examination of the status of the necessity excuse in international …

The Death Penalty--An Obstacle To The "War Against Terrorism"?, Thomas M. Mcdonnell

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

September 11 seared our collective memory perhaps even more vividly than December 7, 1941, and has evoked a natural demand both for retribution and for measures to keep us safe. Given the existing statutory and judicial authority for capital punishment, the U.S. Government has to confront the issue whether to seek the death penalty against those who are linked to the suicide attacks or to the organization that sponsored them or both. Meting out the death penalty to international terrorists involves difficult moral, legal, and policy questions. The September 11 crimes were not only domestic crimes, but also international ones. …

Prosecuting The "Fog Of War?, Christopher D. Booth

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In the Fall of 1999, the Associated Press reported a story of an alleged massacre of Korean civilians, conducted by U.S. troops at the beginning of the Korean War in the hamlet of No Gun Ri. The story had an incendiary effect, both in the United States and abroad. The story of an incident from half-a-century ago caused many to reexamine the conduct of American forces in that war, the current security arrangements in East Asia, the U.S.-R.O.K. relationship, and the wisdom and ability of modem Americans to investigate, evaluate, and judge historical events from our current historical and cultural …

Anti-Personnel Mines And Peremptory Norms Of International Law: Argument And Catalyst, R. J. Araujo

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Anti-personnel mines have evolved into the military device of choice in many regional conflicts across the world. The author commences his analysis of this development by considering the impact of anti-personnel mines on civilian populations and the reasons historically articulated for their use. After evaluating their relative costs and benefits, the author proceeds to analyze the problem of anti-personnel mines under the principles of international law. First, the author considers legal principles regarding the permissible use of force by combatants, generally referred to as jus in bello. Next, the author evaluates the use of anti-personnel mines under jus in bello …

Peace And The Press: Media Rules During U.N. Peacekeeping Operations, Jennifer Lee

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In recent years, U.N. peacekeeping operations have become an increasing focus of international military action and media coverage. While the military and the media have maintained a precarious balance in the United States between the military's objective of operational success and the media's call for uncensored reporting, the evolution and growing importance of U.N. peacekeeping offers new considerations to this balance. This Note examines the ability of the United Nations to affect the balance between the military and the media through the implementation of U.N. media rules during peacekeeping operations. This Note begins by reviewing the history of media coverage …

The Reemergence Of German Arms: How Far Will Germany's March Toward Full Use Of Military Force Go?, Walter J. Lemanski

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In 1994, the German Federal Constitutional Court handed down a landmark decision redefining the constitutionality of German use of military force. For more than forty years, the German government claimed that the German Constitution forbade the use of military forces for other than the defense of NATO territory. The Federal Constitutional Court, however, held that a majority vote of Parliament was all that was required to commit forces to military actions sanctioned by collective security agreements. In 1995, for the first time since World War II, Germany sent offensive military forces into a combat zone. These events raise the question …

On Demilitarizing A Palestinian "Entity" And The Golan Heights: An International Law Perspective, Louis R. Beres, Zalman Shoval

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

With the signing of the Oslo II Accord at the White House on September 28, 1995, Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization codified the expansion of Palestinian self-rule in Judea and Samaria. Authors of this Accord argue that the security risks to Israel from the nascent Palestinian state could be reduced through appropriate forms of demilitarization. Similar arguments are being offered in relation to the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau currently in dispute between Israel and Syria. In this very timely and important Article, Professor Beres and Ambassador Shoval examine demilitarization in both contexts. They conclude, jurisprudential assurances notwithstanding, that …

The Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal: The Compatibility Of Peace, Politics, And International Law, Karl A. Hochkammer

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Since 1991, a brutal war has raged among ethnic groups of the former Yugoslavia. Outraged by the atrocities that have pervaded the war, the United Nations established an international tribunal in 1993 to adjudicate violations of international humanitarian law committed in the Yugoslav conflict. Although well-intentioned, the Yugoslav Tribunal nevertheless may fail to accomplish its goals. A number of practical and legal obstacles may impede its success. In particular, the United Nations lack of physical control over the combatants in the Yugoslav conflict may frustrate the Tribunal's ability to bring accused war criminals to justice. This Note surveys the problems …

Non-Proliferation, Self-Defense, And The Korean Crisis, Mark E. Newcomb

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The United Nations, the United States, and other interested governments have sought to minimize the proliferation of nuclear weapons. North Korea's apparent attempts to begin production of nuclear materials clearly undermine the goal of non-proliferation. Moreover, the introduction of nuclear weapons onto the Korean peninsula, a site of continued political and military tension, has added a threat of potential nuclear conflict. This Article investigates the history of the Korean crisis and places North Korea's attempt to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in the context of the international non-proliferation regime and policy. The author then examines …

Preserving The Third Temple: Israel's Right Of Anticipatory Self-Defense Under International Law, Louis R. Beres

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In this Article, Professor Beres discusses certain political tensions in the Middle East and the appropriateness of preemptive military action by Israel. He concludes that the ongoing hostilities and threatening overtures by Israel's enemies could give Israel sufficient basis pursuant to international law to conduct preemptive strikes. Upon reaching this conclusion, Professor Beres considers the level of force Israel should employ in various preemptive or counter retaliation scenarios. While the degree of preemption is debatable, the author believes that the preservation of Israel may require some preemptive action in the near future.

The Nonproliferation Treaty And The "New World Order", Bryan L. Sutter

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT or Treaty) faces either extinction or extension in 1995, when the NPT signatories will meet to decide its fate. Given the rapid changes in today's nuclear technology and political environment, many states have expressed reservations about extending the Treaty. This Note considers the implications of those reservations as well as arguments favoring extension. This Note reviews the birth of the atomic age and the terms of the NPT and examines the Treaty's strengths and weaknesses. The author concludes that the Treaty should remain in force and suggests strategies for maintaining the …

After The Gulf War: Prosecuting Iraqi Crimes Under The Rule Of Law, Louis R. Beres

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In this Article, Professor Beres proposes that Iraqi crimes committed during the Gulf War should be prosecuted under international law. He suggests that the United States should take the lead in this prosecution, utilizing a Nuremberg-style trial.

The Article first discusses history of the antigenocide regime in the international arena. The criminalization of genocide has been built upon the norms of international custom, natural law principles, and generally-accepted principles of law recognized by civilized nations. Moreover, evidence of this regime may be found in the Genocide Convention, the United Nations Charter, and other treaties and conventions.

Professor Beres next examines …

Chemical And Biological Warfare: Focus On Asia, Lee D. Klein

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Note concludes that (1) the Geneva Protocol of 1925 and the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972 provide conventional restraints upon the use of lethal or seriously injurious CBWs; (2) modern treaties, customs, judicial decisions, and writings form a public international law norm that imposes a legal restraint limiting the use of lethal or seriously injurious CBWs and binding all states regardless of their acceptance of conventional prohibitions; and (3) the law of war today is characterized more accurately as the "law of armed conflict," because it must of necessity apply to conflicts that are not purely interstate. Before discussing …

Books Received, Journal Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

G.I. RIGHTS AND ARMY JUSTICE: THE DRAFTEE'S GUIDE TO MILITARY LIFE AND LAW

By Robert S. Rivkin

New York: Grove Press, Inc., 1970. Pp. vii, 383. $1.75.

===================

HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL ACTION

By Ernst B. Haas

Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1970.Pp. vii, 184.

===============

INDIRECT TAXATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

By John F. Due

Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1970. Pp. v, 201. $9.00.

============

INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL LAW: THE REGULATION OF THE RADIO SPECTRUM

By David M. Leive

Dobbs Ferry, N. Y.: Oceana Publications Inc., 1970. Pp. 11, 386.$16.50.

============

THE WINDS OF FREEDOM

By Dean Rusk …

Vietnam And Public International Law: Comment, Anthony A. D'Amato

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

With each international crisis inevitably come the self-styled "realists" proclaiming that there is no such thing as public international law. The Vietnam war is no exception, although here, due to the unusual complexity of the facts and the controversy over the applicable rules of international law, many of the published replies to the "realist's" positions have themselves been insubstantial and unconvincing. Let us look first, briefly, at the arguments of one of the realists, and then, with equal brevity, at some of the counter claims. The remainder of this comment will be addressed to the larger issues involved and some …

Case Comments, Journal Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Sovereign Immunity and Act of State -- A Foreign Sovereign instituting Suit in a United States Court waives Immunity to a Set-off arising from an Act of that Sovereign

===========

International Law--Nuremburg Doctrine invoked in Domestic Court-Martial

The Law School Looks At Vietnam, W. G. C.

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

On November 7, 1967, while pollsters were busy recording increased popular dissatisfaction with President Johnson's Vietnam policy, the Vanderbilt International Law Society decided to find out what law students at Vanderbilt felt about the War and the legal implications stemming from it.

About two-thirds of the entire student body participated in the poll. A multiple-choice format was used; yet, many students added lengthy comments of their own on the War. Of course, their interest wasn't just academic. As one voter noted, "My answers are affected by the probability that I'll be going to Vietnam...and I don't want to get shot …