U.S.

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, extrajudicial execution, International Law, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes October 7, 2014

International law and the use of military force against groups in Syria

There is considerable confusion over the legality under international law of taking military action against groups and targets in Syria. This has led some governments…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, Germany, History, International Law, Justice Department, Mitt Romney, NATO, Russia, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.S. Congress, Ukraine, United States, use of force April 16, 2014

The April 17 Geneva meeting on the Ukraine: Aggressor and appeasers on the road to Munich II

As Russia, the U.S., the EU and Ukraine meet on April 17 in Geneva, it is useful to consider previous analysis and the latest commentary…

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Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, Egypt, human rights, International Law, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Middle East, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Torture, Tunisia, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, united arab emirates, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes July 11, 2012

What future for UNSMIS and for Kofi Annan? Russia pushes for more of the same, with an implied military threat to dissuade all from any other options—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #61 (July 11)

For a long-time student of diplomatic history and international politics, it is painful to watch the amateurism of Barack Obama’s foreign policy and foreign policy team….

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Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, human rights, International Law, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes June 19, 2012

Obama-Putin meeting at G-20 in Mexico (video of joint press conference and transcript of related news conference)—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #55 (June 19)

Updated September 9, 2012 Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin held a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Los Cabos, Baja California,…

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After G-8 “agreement on Syria”, the fighting continues—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #41 (May 23) REVISED

G-8 Camp David Final Communique: Statement on Syria 1. We, the Leaders of the Group of Eight, met at Camp David on May 18 and…

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Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, elections, Intelligence, International Law, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.S. Military, use of force October 3, 2010

Strategic disarray in Afghanistan

“The current near-term strategy appears to be to try to kill enough of the Taliban’s leaders to force them to negotiate a settlement on terms acceptable to Hamid Karzai.”

“This war will not be won, or defeat avoided, by fine intellectual distinctions.”

“What Obama needs to do is to take the bull by the horns, and start exploring options for the early departure of Hamid Karzai. This will be a monumentally challenging task. So was D-Day in World War II.”