Military, War, and Peace Commons^™

The Dangerous Rise Of Dual-Use Objects In War, Oona A. Hathaway, Azmat Khan, Mara R. Revkin

Faculty Scholarship

Each day, the news brings stories of military attacks on schools, hospitals, apartment buildings, electrical facilities, and other critical civilian infrastructure. The militaries attacking these objects often seek to justify the attacks by claiming that the civilian objects are being used by militants. Objects that are believed to have both military and civilian use are often referred to as “dual-use” objects. Even though the term has become common, international law does not recognize a “dual-use” object as a legally meaningful category. Rather, the postwar Geneva Conventions that lie at the core of modern international humanitarian law establish a bright line …

Rethinking The Application Of Formal And Informal Justice Responses To Conflict Related Sexual Violence In Uganda, Josephine Ndagire

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Nearly sixteen (16) years since the "Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities Between the Government of the Republic of Uganda and Lord’s Resistance Army/Movement" (Juba Peace Agreement), accountability mechanisms envisaged therein have hardly provided meaningful redress, if at all, to victims of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). The peace negotiations took place shortly after the ICC issued arrest warrants for top commanders of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) who insisted on being tried at home. In a bid to balance the demands of peace and justice, a local accountability mechanism was agreed. The mechanism would work parallel to traditional justice mechanisms in …

Placing The Four Rounds Of Israeli Palestinian Negotiations In The Twenty-First Century In The Context Of Ir Theory, Notably Realism Theory, Michael J. Reimer Dr

Department of Political Science and Law Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

On October 7, 2023, Hamas unleashed a vicious attack on Israeli civilians in the southern part of Israel. The plans for this attack were likely many years in the making. Nine hundred miles of tunnels crisscrossed Gaza with the terrorist infrastructure coinciding with the location of hospitals, school, Mosques and shelters above. On October 6, 2023, the history of the four rounds of Israeli Palestinian negotiations of the earlier part of the twenty-first century had been largely forgotten and completely ignored. The Likud coalition in Israel in 2023 - 2024 was in complete agreement with Hamas’ sponsor that no negotiations …

Protection Of Nuclear Facilities In Warfare Under International Law, Gary Corn, Sean Watts

Joint PIJIP/TLS Research Paper Series

No abstract provided.

A Delicate Balance: The Japan-Us Status Of Forces Agreement Applying A Comparative Framework To Recommend Changes To Criminal Jurisdiction Provisions In The Japan-Us Status Of Forces Agreement To Better Protect The Interests Of Japan And The United States, Keara Schmeiser

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

The criminal jurisdiction provisions of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (“SOFA”), which governs the rights of US servicemembers deployed in Japan, must be amended. The recent Japanese criminal conviction of a U.S. naval officer focused U.S. lawmakers’ efforts on revising the Japan-U.S. SOFA. This led to a provision in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”), which requires the U.S. Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State to analyze the largest existing U.S. bilateral agreements and their treatment of U.S. servicemembers’ rights in foreign courts and, by the end of 2024, report their findings to congressional committees. This Note …

Command Responsibility And The War In Ukraine: Can Customary International Law Hold Russian Commanders Accountable For War Crimes?, Nicholas J. Nizinski

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Currently, neither Ukraine’s Constitution nor its criminal code establish the principle of command responsibility as a mode of criminal liability within the country. Key international statutes like Article 28 of the International Criminal Court and international case law, like the recently decided Case of Milanković v. Croatia, have firmly established the doctrine of command responsibility as a fundamental principle of customary international law applicable in the context of an armed conflict. Furthermore, the Milanković court affirmed a conviction based on command responsibility even in the absence of a clear domestic governing statute at the time the crime was committed, …

Maritime Incidents In The South China Sea: Measures Of Law Enforcement Or Use Of Force?, Aurel Sari

International Law Studies

China has sought to extend its control over the South China Sea at the expense of neighboring countries. In pursuing its goals, Beijing adopts a “power and law” approach, claiming extensive territorial and maritime rights in contravention of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and asserting these rights through coercive action in disputed waters. A key element of China’s strategy involves the use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels in an effort to portray its operations as measures of law enforcement, rather than displays of coercive power.

This article argues that the Chinese narrative of law …

Aggressor State, Aggressor Individual, And What International Law Does/Should Protect, Nurbanu Hayır

Michigan Journal of International Law

This note examines the measures taken against Russian citizens in the context of the Russo-Ukrainian War in positive international law and analyzes the rationale for sanctioning individual citizens of an aggressor state. It questions whether the gravity of state aggression by Russia enables measures targeting individuals based solely on their Russian citizenship by investigating whether the blanket denial of asylum and imposition of travel bans for Russian citizens constitutes a breach of norms of international law. It further tests this citizenship link by turning to the legality of denationalization of pro-Russian Ukrainian citizens under international law. Building on this foundation, …

Narrowing “The Gap”: Counter Gray Zone Operations, Raul (Pete) Pedrozo

International Law Studies

China is exploiting "The Gap" by conducting provocative Gray Zone operations to challenge its neighbors' sovereignty and sovereign rights, as well as their navigational rights and freedoms, in waters off their coast in the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, and South China Sea. By engaging in malign activities that fall below the threshold of an "armed attack," China anticipates it can incrementally advance its interests without eliciting a military response from the targeted States. Diplomatic protests and third-party dispute settlement have not convinced China to halt its aggressive behavior. This article suggests States should use non-lethal counter-piracy tactics, techniques, and …

Rohingya Persecution In Myanmar And Thoughts On Repatriation: Evidence From Rohingya Refugee Camps In Bangladesh, Md. Khalid Rahman, Md. Khaled Amin

Indonesian Journal of International Law

This study aimed to address the causes of systematic and repeated violence, extortion, torture, and persecution of Rohingya minority in Myanmar. Rohingyas were forcibly displaced from their land several times starting in 1978 to the border of Bangladesh by the Tatmadaw and the Buddhist majority. According to the United Nations (UN), within one and a half months after the exodus on 25, August 2017, Rohingyas had fled across the border, which was the largest refugee migration from Myanmar to Bangladesh. A total of 104 Rohingyas were surveyed using a structured questionnaire to investigate the causes of the mass violence. The …

Arctic Policy Considerations For Scottish Independence, Mason Mcinnis Brewer

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

The ongoing effects of climate change on the Arctic environment raises the geopolitical importance of the Arctic and nearby regions, such as the broader High North. With deteriorating relations between Russia and much of the international community, changes to international borders in these regions would undoubtedly be a concern for those with Arctic interests. Consequently, due to Scotland’s location in the world, the legal analysis surrounding any Scottish claim to external self-determination under international law would include Arctic considerations. Following a review of the Artic policy priorities of the U.K. and Scottish governments, and each government's involvement in developing those …

The Public Order Of The Arctic: Problems And Prospects, Charles H. Norchi

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Thin Red Line: Neutrality And Belligerency In Modern Conflicts, Thibault Moulin

Cardozo International & Comparative Law Review

Since the invasion of Ukraine, Western states have faced a dual red line, i.e., at what point neutrality loss and co-belligerency occur. In this Article, I argue that neutrality law is still relevant regarding arms transfers and troop training, which are prohibited, but is often ill-suited to regulate activities like intelligence sharing, which is not subject to a specific treaty or customary rule. As this Article argues, this is because "impartiality" cannot be described as an abstract and autonomous rule, but rather as an umbrella principle underpinning the law of neutrality. It means that helping a belligerent is not ipso …

The Price Of Consent, Zohra Ahmed

Faculty Scholarship

This Article demonstrates how hierarchies in the international economy and in international financial institutions have facilitated the U.S.-led Global War on Terror (GWOT). Using U.S.-Pakistan relations as a case study, it shows how the United States has deployed its powerful position at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to claim Pakistan's consent for its military activities in the region. In the GWOT's first decade, beginning in 2001, the United States openly sought forcible regime change, as in Afghanistan and Iraq; in its second and (now) third decades, the United States has waged covert counterinsurgency campaigns allegedly against militant groups in Muslim-majority …

Rights In Conflict: Examining Investment Treaty Arbitration And Intellectual Property Rights In The Wake Of Russia’S Invasion Of Ukraine, Grace Klutke

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

This article examines how the armed Ukraine-Russia conflict opened a doorway for a wave of international arbitration via corporate actions against Russia for violating BIT obligations. To provide context for the suggested BIT arbitration against Russia, this article begins with a brief discussion of the historical background of this conflict and investor-state treaty arbitration. This article next pivots to analyze the applicability of investor-state treaty arbitration to compensate lost IP investments in three parts. Part I considers how investor-state treaty arbitration function with ongoing armed conflict and which investors may initiate investor-state treaty claims. Next, Part II reports on the …

International Criminal Law And The Role Of Narrative In The War In Ukraine, Jonathan Hafetz

Pace International Law Review

This article examines the multiple ways that international criminal law (ICL)—the body of international law that seeks to impose criminal responsibility on individuals for international crimes—has impacted the conflict in Ukraine. Most violations remain unpunished, and ICL’s legal accountability mechanisms continue to face significant obstacles. But even absent prosecutions and trials, which remain contingent on an array of shifting factors, ICL has affected the Ukraine conflict in multiple ways.

The article focuses on how ICL has helped shape narratives about the war in Ukraine. In doing so, the article cautions against a strict law/politics dichotomy and instead focuses on the …

Conflict Related Sexual Violence In Ethiopia: An Applied Approach To Prevention, Liya Yared

Master's Theses

The Ethiopia-Tigray civil war is one of the deadliest conflicts in recent world history and quickly drew international attention for the mass reports of sexual violence, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing by federal militants. Mass rapes and sexual violence were used along ethnic lines to devastate and displace communities in Ethiopia. Despite the signing of the peace agreement in November 2022 to cease hostilities, the sexual violence has not come to an end. The violence has consequently spread to the Afar, Amhara, and Oromia regions, neighboring Tigray. The sexual violence in Ethiopia was core to the armed conflict. Nonetheless, the …

Preventing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence In Ethiopia: An Applied Approach Towards Prevention, Leah Yared

Master's Theses

The Ethiopia-Tigray civil war is one of the deadliest conflicts in recent world history and quickly drew international attention for the mass reports of sexual violence, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing by federal militants. Mass rapes and sexual violence were used along ethnic lines to devastate and displace communities in Ethiopia. Despite the signing of the peace agreement in November 2022 to cease hostilities, the sexual violence has not come to an end. The violence has consequently spread to the Afar, Amhara, and Oromia regions, neighboring Tigray. The sexual violence in Ethiopia was core to the armed conflict. Nonetheless, the …

Too Little, Too Late: The Icc And The Politics Of Prosecutorial Procrastination In Georgia, Marco Bocchese

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

In August 2008, just days after belligerent parties had reached a ceasefire agreement, the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) announced the opening of a preliminary examination into the situation of Georgia. Yet, it was only in March 2022 that International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan applied for arrest warrants in relation to three individuals from Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia. That said, how can such prolonged inaction be accounted for? How much blame does the OTP carry for it? And how did ICC-state relations develop over time? This paper conducts a within-case analysis of the situation of …

De-Escalating The United States-China Trade War Using A Global Conflict Resolution Methodology Framework, Angelina Kapp

Undergraduate Honors Theses

How can the United States and China collaboratively de-escalate their current trade relationship using a conflict resolution methodology to foster economic growth and foreign investor confidence in the evolving landscape of global trade? This paper will serve as a guide to those wanting to gain a comprehensive understanding of the macroeconomic causes and impacts of the contentious trade war between the U.S. and China. The year 2018 can be attributed to the start of the war when then-President Donald Trump implemented tariffs on Chinese goods and products. These back-and-forth financial and economic measures have been continually imposed to this day …

Thai Drug Offenses And Narcotic Charges: Tracing Thailand’S Drug Control And Capital Punishment History, Jonathan Hasson, Carolyn Hoyle

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

The Article examines Thailand's political economy of drugs and use of sanctions, including capital punishment, using a historical approach. It traces Thailand's nation building and emergence as a global hub for illicit drugs against the backdrop of European and US interventions since the colonial era. The Article reveals how Western concepts and discourses were appropriated by Thai elites to advance local agendas while suppressing democratic movements. The Article explores how the drug trade became entangled with government corruption, militarization, and extrajudicial state violence which often targeted ethnic minorities. In light of recent cannabis policy changes, the Article considers the historical …

Nato Allies On The Brink Of War: The Cause For Implement-Ing A Dispute Resolution Mechanism Within The North Atlantic Treaty, Samantha Solomotis

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

NATO is the largest peacekeeping military alliance in the world and is not yet done growing. Recent events in Ukraine have reinforced the importance of NATO as a defensive alliance. New threats, both internal and external, are emerging. Intra-alliance conflicts over ideological agreements, border disputes, and member contributions put the fate of the organization at risk. To retain its strength as it grows, NATO must develop stronger cohesion between member states to ensure effectiveness and prevent dissolution. This Note uses the recently reignited conflict between Greece and Turkey—NATO members and belligerent neighbors—to demonstrate the pressing need and peacekeeping utility of …

The Politics And Consequences Of State Secession, Olawale Olumodimu

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article argues that the non-express prohibition of state secession in the Nigerian Constitution does not automatically allow component states to break away unilaterally. It appears the framers of the Constitution wanted to ensure political continuity and national unity rather than allow for Nigeria’s disintegration. Beyond Nigeria, international law only allows unilateral secession in the context of decolonization and the people’s right to self-determination.

Nigeria has a responsibility to provide self-determination to its citizens; however, secession is not a legal channel to seek self-determination in the absence of targeted, widespread, or systemic criminal acts committed by or on behalf of …

Break Their Lineage, Break Their Roots: Investigating The Chinese Government’S Relationship With The Uyghur Population To Determine The Potential For Terrorism And Genocide, Anya Veinberg

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

History is wrought with war, crime, and persecution. After nearly every conflict, world leaders vow to never let something similar happen again. Yet, history seems to repeat itself, and so do its conflicts. The Holocaust claimed the lives of millions of Jews and seemed to set a precedent of a modern threshold of evil. How many people would argue that an event strikingly similar to the Holocaust is happening right now in China?

The Chinese government is currently committing acts of violence and faith and race-based discrimination against the Uyghur population.

This work analyzes the interaction between the Chinese government …

Holding Aggressors Responsible For International Crimes: Implementing The Unequal Enforcement Doctrine, Nancy Amoury Combs

Faculty Publications

It is a fundamental tenet of the laws of war that they apply equally to all parties to a conflict. For this reason, a party such as Russia — that illegally launches a war — benefits from all the same rights as a party such as Ukraine — that is forced to defend against the illegal aggression. Countless philosophers have shown that this so-called equal application doctrine is morally indefensible because defenders should have more rights and fewer responsibilities than aggressors. Legal scholars continue to support the equal application doctrine, however, because they reasonably fear that applying different rules to …

Aggressor Status And Its Impact On International Criminal Law Case Selection, Nancy Amoury Combs

Pace International Law Review

The laws of war apply equally to all parties to a conflict; thus, a party that violates international law by launching a war is granted the same international humanitarian law rights as a party that is required to defend against the illegal war. This doctrine—known as the equal application doctrine—has been sharply critiqued, particularly by philosophers, who claim the doctrine to be morally indefensible. Lawyers and legal academics, by contrast, defend the equal application doctrine because they reasonably fear that applying different rules to different warring parties will sharply reduce states’ willingness to comply with the international humanitarian law system …

Justifying Aggression: Russia's 2020 Constitutional Amendments And The Invasion Of Ukraine, Robert C. Blitt

Scholarly Works

Beyond the alluring promise of an enhanced social safety net for Russian citizens, President Vladimir Putin's constitutional amendments of 2020 betrayed a distinct preoccupation with fortifying Russia's international standing and crafting a new national identity. By Putin's own account, these amendments were necessary to steel the country against the malevolent action of international conspirators committed to Russia's downfall. As this Article posits, these specific constitutional changes systematically entrenched an exceptionalist vision of Russian sovereignty and a civilizational identity that left the country constitutionally untethered from international norms and institutions, saturated in religious fervor and visions of imperial glory, and poised …

Smouldering Semantics, Mark A. Drumbl

Scholarly Articles

Law privileges remedies such as incarceration and, in the case of the ICJ, satisfaction, restitution, and compensation. Diverse remedies, like divestment and shareholder activism, remain marginal. It is indeed refreshing to me that the protests roiling university campuses do not call for criminal prosecution, or ICJ denunciation, but rather for divestment and thereby open a conversation about wider causal elements. Law also privileges a reductionism--there is one blameworthy entity at fault, namely, the defendant, the respondent, or the accused. Such a parsimonious approach obscures the broader forces that conspire to seed the loneliness and abandonment that, to me, is a …

A History Of Corporate Law Federalism In The Twentieth Century, William W. Bratton

Seattle University Law Review

This Article describes the emergence of corporate law federalism across a long twentieth century. The period begins with New Jersey’s successful initiation of charter competition in 1888 and ends with the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002. The federalism in question describes the interrelation of state and federal regulation of corporate internal affairs. This Article takes a positive approach, pursuing no normative bottom line. It makes six observations: (1) the federalism describes a division of subject matter, with internal affairs regulated by the states and securities issuance and trading regulated by the federal government; (2) the federalism is an …

Gendered Peace Through International Law, Louise Arimatsu, Christine M. Chinkin

Books

Two leading feminist lawyers reflect on gender in international law to set out what a gendered peace might look like and its impact on international law in this open access book.

In order to challenge orthodoxies, the book takes an unconventional approach, merging personal reflections, expert essays, and interviews. It throws the disciplinary net wide, drawing on international law, gender studies, international relations and history. The authors, undisputed global leaders in the field, challenge the reader to unlearn international law, in order to relearn it in a way that makes it more fit for purpose in the contemporary world. This …