Switzerland indicts former Algeria defense minister for war crimes and crimes against humanity
Switzerland’s Office of the Attorney General (OAG) announced Tuesday that it has formally charged former Algerian defense minister Khaled Nezzar in relation to war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the Algerian Civil War. In the indictment submitted to Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court (FCC), prosecutors said “Nezzar is accused of violating the laws [...]
Israel, Counter-Terrorism, and International Law: The Analytic Challenges of 'System'
“The existence of `system’ in the world is obvious to every observer of nature, no matter whom.” Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Phenomenon of Man (1959) Whether conspicuous or obscure, terrorism generally presents itself as a systemic challenge. This means, inter alia, that seemingly singular strategic and legal matters may actually be many-sided and interrelated. Regarding legal issues, though [...]
Since February 24, 2022, Ukraine has been defending itself from the acts of aggression by the Russian Federation. The unprovoked invasion by Russia, one of the largest military forces in the world, has resulted in over 1,100 civilian casualties based on the official UN records, with the actual casualties considered to be significantly greater. The [...]
Natural Law and the United States Constitution: Still Vital Connections
Abstract: Ideas of Natural Law were crucial in drafting the US Constitution. These seminal ideas were made known to document “framers” largely by way of William Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England. The Commentaries represent the truest philosophic origins of America’s legal system. In these dissembling times of recurrent political manipulation, Blackstone’s work warrants [...]
Law and Strategy after Afghanistan: The United States, Israel and Iran
Abstract: Following US withdrawal from Afghanistan, America’s security focus will turn more expressly to Iran. The core problem with America’s Afghanistan withdrawal was not one of timing or tactics, but of original misconception. In essence, the “Afghanistan Problem” stemmed from an initially underestimated and misunderstood military operation. Looking ahead, Afghanistan’s incoherent conclusion means, inter alia, [...]
The filibuster debate has focused on whether the rule facilitates or stifles negotiation and compromise. Of course, the rule – that 60 votes are required to end debate – doesn’t do either. It’s the norms that those subject to the rule adopt that matter. When I was younger, it seemed, Congress adhered to a norm [...]
Denmark appeals court upholds extradition of Rwandan genocide suspect
The Eastern High Court of appeals in Denmark on Friday upheld a decision that a Rwandan native and Danish national since 2014 can be extradited to face trial for crimes against humanity. Wenceslas Twagirayezu is suspected of committing crimes against humanity in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Twagirayezu was arrested in May 2017 . In a [...]
When considering the comments in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, with the perspective of thirteen years since their landfall, I’ll paraphrase Mark Twain’s comment about an erroneously pre-mature 1897 obituary: “the reports of death are greatly exaggerated.” The perspective of time and the restoration of many services to the Hurricane Katrina and Rita-stricken Gulf Coast reveal that matters [...]
A Sino-American Cyber Security Agreement: Crisis Composed of Danger and Opportunity?
JURIST Guest Columnist Kevin Govern of Ave Maria School of Law discusses the latest cyber security agreement between China and the US... It is a longstanding fiction that the Chinese word for "crisis" is composed of elements that signify "danger"...
JURIST Guest Columnist Jacob Huebert, of the Liberty Justice Center, discusses a new Illinois eavesdropping law and argues that the Illinois legislators should repeal the law as it violates constitutional principles and individual freedoms...For a few weeks in late 2014,...
