Military, War, and Peace Commons^™

War, Responsibility, And Killer Robots, Rebecca Crootof

Law Faculty Publications

In War and Responsibility, John Hart Ely argues that Congress has willingly and cravenly surrendered its rightful role as the branch responsible for determining when and the extent to which the United States engages in armed conflicts. Since the publication of this seminal work on the war power, presidents have continued to commit troops to hostilities absent or outside of explicit congressional authorizations-and the legislature and the judiciary rarely challenge such actions.

Meanwhile, the United States is investing heavily in unmanned military weapon systems, and the U.S. Department of Defense has described increasing weapons' autonomous capabilities as a "high priority." …

21st Century Arms Control Challenges: Drones, Cyber Weapons, Killer Robots, And Wmds, Mary Ellen O'Connell

Journal Articles

The world faces tough arms control challenges from preventing the development and use of weapons of mass destruction to regulating the new weapons of the computer revolution. This article considers what works in arms control. Using military force in violation of international law to destroy nuclear facilities, to stop weapons shipments, or to punish the use of prohibited weapons typically fails. Diplomacy paired with lawful counter-measures has the superior track record. Reviving the art of diplomacy and re-committing to authentic international law will pay dividends in peace and security.

Game Of Drones, Mary Ellen O'Connell

Journal Articles

Reviewing three 2015 treatises on Drone War

A Theory of the Drone. By Grègoire Chamayou. Translated by Janet Lloyd. New York, London: The New Press, 2015. Pp. 292. Index. $26.95.

International Law and Drone Strikes in Pakistan: The Legal and Socio-political Aspects. By Sikander Ahmed Shah. London, New York: Routledge, 2015. Pp. viii, 247. Index. $145.

Sudden Justice: America's Secret Drone Wars. By Chris Woods. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 2015. Pp. xvi, 386. Index. $27.95.

The Just War Tradition And International Law Against War: The Myth Of Discordant Doctrines, Mary Ellen O'Connell

Journal Articles

The international law regulating resort to armed force, still known by the Latin phrase, the jus ad bellum, forms a principal substantive subfield of international law, along with human rights law, international environmental law, and international economic law. Among theologians, philosophers, and political scientists, just war theory is a major topic of study. Nevertheless, only a minority of scholars and practitioners know both jus ad bellum and just war theory well. Lack of knowledge has led to the erroneous view that the two areas are in conflict. This article responds to this misapprehension, explaining the deep compatibility of international law …