Article 51

No Picture

Barack Obama, extraordinary rendition, Germany, History, International Law, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, Oslo, self-defense, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, vision of peace November 11, 2019

REPRISE (2019) — Veterans’ Day, 2011: “Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?”

Originally published on November 11, 2011 My uncle died in a field in northern France with a German bullet in his head. To him, and…

No Picture

Barack Obama, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, Deutschland, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, France, Germany, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, NATO, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, Nuclear Proliferation, nuclear war, OSCE, Oslo, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, vision of peace, Vladimir Putin, war crimes November 11, 2015

REPRISE: Veterans’ Day, 2011: “Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?”

First published, November 11, 2011 My uncle died in a field in northern France with a German bullet in his head. To him, and all…

No Picture

"that spark of the divine", Barack Obama, China, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, Deutschland, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, France, Germany, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, Nuclear Proliferation, Oslo, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, vision of peace, Vladimir Putin, war crimes November 11, 2014

REPRISE: Veterans’ Day, 2011: “Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?”

First published, November 11, 2011 My uncle died in a field in northern France with a German bullet in his head. To him, and all…

No Picture

Abdoulah, Abdullah, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, China, CIA, elections, Hamid Karzai, History, Intelligence, International Law, Iran, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Middle East, Russia, sanctions, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, use of force June 20, 2014

Obama’s six crises and collapsing foreign policy: Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, and China’s actions in the East and South China Seas

Developing President Barack Obama now faces six simultaneous crises, amid the collapsing edifice of his foreign policy. They are: 1. Russia and the Ukraine Russia’s…

No Picture

Barack Obama, Chemical weapons, China, Crimes Against Humanity, extrajudicial execution, France, History, International Law, NATO, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes August 29, 2013

Next Steps: Obama, like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, must now take steps to deal with the Syrian crisis—ALL OF IT

The publication by the U.K. on August 29 of a summary of its legal justification for taking military action against Syria is a most welcome…

No Picture

Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, extrajudicial execution, France, History, human rights, International Law, Libya, Libya, NATO, Russia, Saudi Arabia, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S Foreign Relations, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes August 27, 2013

A strong but narrow legal justification for military action in Syria: The key to building a strong coalition

The Necessity and Challenge of Crafting a Strong Legal Justification for Military Action in Syria President Barack Obama is learning, however belatedly, that other nations…

No Picture

Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, debate over the efficacy of torture, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, History, human rights, International Law, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes February 25, 2013

Brennan’s wristbands, McCain’s hold, and assertions of legality under international law based on secret operations and secret legal memoranda (with links to Brennan confirmation hearing video, transcript, and written questions and answers)

On Brennan’s May 23, 2016 testimony regarding Russian intervention in elections, and FBI investigation into intervention and possible collusion with Trump associates, see “Former CIA…

No Picture

Barack Obama, China, International Law, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Middle East, NATO, Russia, self-defense, Serbia, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Military, United States, use of force October 5, 2012

Syria as “the tinderbox of the Middle East”; Security Council press statement condemns Syria for shelling Turkish town—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #87 (October 5)

The U.N. Security Council issued a presidential statement on October 4 condemning the shelling of a Turkish town by Syrian forces. The statement has no…

No Picture

Barack Obama, CIA, elections, extrajudicial execution, History, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, Libya, Middle East, Mitt Romney, Pakistan, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Tunisia, U.N. Charter, U.S Foreign Relations, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, Yemen October 3, 2012

No time for cowboys: U.S. preparation for reprisals against Libyan targets

News report WASHINGTON — The United States is laying the groundwork for operations to kill or capture militants implicated in the deadly attack on a…

No Picture

Barack Obama, China, CIA, Crimes Against Humanity, Culture and Communication, Dictatorship, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, France, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Iran, Israel, kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Middle East, NATO, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, Nuclear Proliferation, Oslo, Russia, self-defense, Serbia, syria, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force March 3, 2012

Passivity in the Face of Terror in Syria, Threats of War in Iran — Obama’s Debacle in Syria—Update #2 (March 3, 2012)

For earlier articles on Syria by The Trenchant Observer, see the Articles on Syria page. A Hard Truth:  Obama is a Weak Leader on Foreign…

No Picture

Afghanistan, CIA, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, NATO, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, Oslo, self-defense, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.N. Charter, U.S Foreign Relations, U.S. Military, use of force July 17, 2011

International Law and the Use of Force: Drones and Real Anarchy Unleashed Upon the World

Recently a number of articles have been published that are of particular interest with respect to the development and use of drones. See William Wan…

No Picture

Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, dubai, human rights, human rights reports, International Law, NATO, Pakistan, Pakistan military, self-defense, State Department Legal Adviser, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.N. Charter, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, united arab emirates, United States, use of force, vision of peace, Yemen August 6, 2010

UPDATE: Anwar al-Aulaqi: Targeted Killings, Self-Defense, and War Crimes

UPDATE The Center for Constitutional Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union have filed suit against the Treasury Department for rules that require them to…

No Picture

Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, human rights, human rights reports, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, NATO, Pakistan, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, United States, use of force June 2, 2010

Targeted Killings: U.N. Special Rapporteur Alston Publishes Report to U.N. Human Rights Council

Today, Philip Alston, a highly distinguished human rights expert and U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, published a report addressing international law…