Vessels of War

Vessels of War

Vessels of War How can vessels be used in war? Are rights and obligations vested in armed forces personnel or in the naval platforms themselves? Combatancy in land warfare is fairly straightforward. Persons sanctioned by and under the control of a State have...
United States v. Najibullah Symposium – Taliban Combatant Immunity in Non-International Armed Conflict

United States v. Najibullah Symposium – Taliban Combatant Immunity in Non-International Armed Conflict

United States v. Najibullah Symposium – Taliban Combatant Immunity in Non-International Armed Conflict Editors’ note: This post is part of a two-post symposium on a pretrial hearing in the case United States v. Najibullah. An introductory post by Professor Sean...
United States v. Najibullah Symposium – Introduction

United States v. Najibullah Symposium – Introduction

United States v. Najibullah Symposium – Introduction Almost as soon as hostilities between the United States and the Taliban and al Qaeda groups in Afghanistan began in 2001, important law of war questions emerged. In particular, early stages of the conflict provoked...
“Humanity” is Not Always the Highest Claim

“Humanity” is Not Always the Highest Claim

“Humanity” is Not Always the Highest Claim Disputes about the application of the law of armed conflict are often fought with tools of legal analysis: competing treaty provisions; court rulings; and historical precedents. I want to highlight here a deeper dispute...
“On the Brink”: The Geneva Conventions at 75

“On the Brink”: The Geneva Conventions at 75

“On the Brink”: The Geneva Conventions at 75 Editor’s note: The views expressed in this post are those of the author and not necessarily those of the ICRC, HLS PILAC, or other workshop participants. From March 12-13, 2024, Harvard Law School’s Program on International...