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Barack Obama, Chemical weapons, International Law, Iran, religious belief, Russia, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force September 26, 2013

Disillisioned with Obama’s chemical weapons deal with the Russians, 12 Free Syrian Army groups form alliance with al-Nusra Front in Syria

Twelve “moderate” groups previously aligned with the Free Syrian Army, have given up on Obama and the West, forming a new alliance with the al-Qaeda…

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Barack Obama, Chemical weapons, China, Crimes Against Humanity, Dictatorship, International Law, Iran, Middle East, Russia, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes September 19, 2013

Obama, Putin and Syria: Commentary on the fallout from Obama’s backdown

(1) Jacques Schuster, “Meinung: Russland Garantiemacht aller Schurken in Nahost,” Die Welt, 19 September 2013. Im Syrien-Konflikt halten sich sieben Parteien für den Gewinner. Kann…

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Barack Obama, Chemical weapons, China, Crimes Against Humanity, France, genocide, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, Iran, religious belief, Russia, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes September 17, 2013

We are a bunch of curious people, that’s for sure, who care about the commission of evil in this world

We are a bunch of curious people, that’s for sure. We are that small minority, minuscule perhaps, who follow foreign policy and world events in…

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Barack Obama, Chemical weapons, China, Crimes Against Humanity, France, History, human rights, NATO, Russia, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, use of force, war crimes September 10, 2013

Syria’s two problems, and Russia’s “iffy” solution to only one of them

President Obama’s speech to the nation tonight, September 10, was a weak speech, reflecting the confusion in his head and in the administration about what…

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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…

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Barack Obama, Crimes Against Humanity, human rights, International Law, Russia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, 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

U.K. publishes legal justification for taking military action in Syria (full text and link)

The Office of the Prime Minister published a summary of the U.K. government’s legal justification of the use on military force against Syria in response…

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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…

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Barack Obama, Crimes Against Humanity, France, genocide, History, human rights, International Law, NATO, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Turkey, 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 26, 2013

Fine intellectual distinctions involving the use of force are likely to fail in Syria

Developing story News reports suggest President Obama is tailoring military action against Syria to achieve the goal of deterring Bashar al-Assad from ever using chemical…

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Barack Obama, Bosnia-Herzegovina, China, CIA, Crimes Against Humanity, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Lebanon, Libya, NATO, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes August 25, 2013

New strategy and accompanying military action needed in Syria; Justification under International Law

President Barack Obama’s strategy for dealing with Syria has demonstrably failed. That strategy consisted mainly in looking the other way, providing fitful and ineffectual covert…

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Barack Obama, CIA, Crimes Against Humanity, France, genocide, human rights, International Law, Iran, Lebanon, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom June 22, 2013

Obama’s “intellectual” approach and continuing indecision on no-fly zone and arms in Syria

For background, see The Trenchant Observer, “Obama’s “intellectual” decision-making style and the covert supply of arms to the Free Syrian Army,” June 17, 2013. On…

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Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, Dictatorship, extrajudicial execution, France, History, human rights, Iran, Lebanon, Russia, State Department, syria, Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes May 28, 2013

REPRISE: Syrian military continues campaign to crush opposition in Saraqeb, Homs, al-Qusair and elsewhere—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #16 (March 24, updated March 25, 2012)

REPRISE Originally published March 25, 2012 Latest news reports Oliver Holmes and Steve Gutterman (Beirut/Moscow), “Syrian forces on the offensive; Annan in Moscow,” Reuters, March…