United Kingdom

No Picture

Barack Obama, Chemical weapons, China, Crimes Against Humanity, France, History, International Law, Russia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, United Kingdom, United Nations Secretary General, United States, use of force, vision of peace, war crimes September 27, 2013

U.N. Security Council unanimously adopts Resolution 2118 establishing regime for the elimination of chemical weapons in Syria

Department of Public Information, News and Media Division (New York), “Security Council requires Scheduled Destruction of Syria’s Chemical Weapons, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2118 (2013), U.N….

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, 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…

No Picture

Azerbaijan, Barack Obama, Brazil, China, Dictatorship, extrajudicial execution, France, Germany, History, human rights, human rights reports, International Law, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Middle East, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, sanctions, South Africa, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Togo, Torture, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes August 16, 2012

Grave errors, repeated? The United States, France, the U.K. and Kofi Annan’s successor; Latest developments on UNSMIS, Joint Special Envoy—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #76 (August 16) Revised 20:00 GMT

Updated August 16 at 20:00 GMT Latest Developments: – U.N. Security Council allows UNSMIS mission to end on August 19 – Russia pushes hard to…

No Picture

Afghanistan, Africa, Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, dubai, extrajudicial execution, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Middle East, Mossad, NATO, Nelson Mandela, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Togo, Torture, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, war crimes July 20, 2012

Security Council adopts Resolution 2059 extending mandate of UNSMIS for 30 days (with text); fighting and risks intensify—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #67 (July 20)

The U.N. Security Council adopted a draft resolution sponsored by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany on Friday morning, July 20, 2012, extending the term…

No Picture

Argentina, Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, Egypt, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Qatar, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, united arab emirates, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes July 17, 2012

If Russia vetoes a Security Council resolution on Syria, then what? — Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update # 64 (July 17)

We are at a potential decision point on Syria. A draft resolution presented by France, the U.K., the United States and Germany, extending the UNSMIS…

No Picture

Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, extrajudicial execution, France, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, Iran, Israel, Justice Department, Kuwait, Lebanon, Middle East, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, united arab emirates, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes July 9, 2012

Kofi Annan proves Karl Marx right: “History repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce”—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #59 (July 9)

For background, see the following articles by The Trenchant Observer: “Oh, what a beautiful castle in the sky! Kofi Annan—the Illusionist, the moral cowardice of…

No Picture

Barack Obama, China, Deutschland, France, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, united arab emirates, United Kingdom, United States, use of force July 2, 2012

Oh, what a beautiful castle in the sky! Kofi Annan—the Illusionist, the moral cowardice of the world, and the end of the United Nations dream—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #58 (July 2)

Kofi Annan, the ever-willing Illusionist, aided and abetted by the permanent members of the U. N. Security Council, has offered us one more castle in…

No Picture

Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, extrajudicial execution, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, NATO, Qatar, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Torture, Turkey, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes June 30, 2012

Border tensions with Turkey rise; 190 killed on Thursday, al-Assad defiant, P5 + 4 to meet in Geneva on Saturday—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #57

On Thursday, the number of killed in Syria reached an all-time high for the year, at 190 dead, according to the New York Times: Tallies…

No Picture

Barack Obama, China, CIA, Crimes Against Humanity, extrajudicial execution, France, Germany, History, human rights, human rights reports, International Law, Justice Department, Lebanon, Middle East, NATO, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Human Rights Country Reports, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, united arab emirates, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes, Yemen June 23, 2012

Immunity or safe-conduct for al-Assad? Can Kofi Annan fail? Conference before cease-fire?—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #56 (June 23)

A lot of wasted time and diplomatic effort could be saved if the world’s leaders insisted on their top international lawyers sitting in on critical…

No Picture

Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, extrajudicial execution, France, Germany, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Middle East, NATO, Qatar, Russia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S Foreign Relations, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, united arab emirates, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes May 26, 2012

Chief of UN Observers confirms massacre at Houla; NGOs report 35 children and total of 110 killed—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #44 (May 26)

Reuters (Beirut)–“This morning U.N. military and civilian observers went to Houla and counted more than 32 children under the age of 10 and over 60…

No Picture

Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, Dictatorship, extrajudicial execution, History, human rights, human rights reports, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Iran, Middle East, Russia, State Department, State Department Human Rights Country Reports, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Torture, U.N. Security Council, United States, use of force, war crimes April 14, 2012

At last, the Security Council acts on Syria, adopting Resolution 2042—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #26 (April 14)

Finally, after 10,000 deaths, the United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution on Syria, by a unanimous vote of 15-0, with the affirmative votes…

No Picture

Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, Dictatorship, France, Germany, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Middle East, Russia, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, use of force, war crimes March 6, 2012

The Nuremberg Principles and Syria—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #5

U.N. Security Council For earlier articles on Syria by The Trenchant Observer, see the Articles on Syria page. If Russia and China want to continue…

No Picture

Barack Obama, Dictatorship, extrajudicial execution, France, Germany, human rights, human rights reports, Intelligence, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Iran, Israel, kosovo, Russia, Serbia, State Department, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force February 29, 2012

Diplomats founder: Military action, not “mediation”, required to halt crimes against humanity—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #1 (February 29, revised March 1)

Revised March 1, 2012 For earlier articles on Syria by The Trenchant Observer, see the Articles on Syria page. Syrian tank firing in Homs “So,…

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…