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The New OLC Opinion on Syria Brings Obama Legal Rationales Out of the Shadows
The opinion on the April 2018 airstrikes against Syrian chemical-weapons facilities follows straightforwardly from Obama-era legal opinions, including one we did not know about until today. -
Document: Office of Legal Counsel Memo on April 2018 Syria Strikes
On Thursday, the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel issued the following memorandum opinion on the April 2018 U.S. airstrikes against three Syrian chemical-weapons facilities. -
Accused Spy Kevin Mallory Goes to Trial
On Wednesday morning, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Judge T.S. Ellis III presided over opening arguments in the espionage trial of former U.S. intelligence officer Kevi... -
It’s Time for South China Sea Economic Sanctions
The most recent U.S. freedom-of-navigation operation (FONOP) in the South China Sea garnered the usual global headlines, but it also shows how ineffective such operations have been in deterring Chinese a... -
Oral Argument in Georgia v. Russia (II): The Fake News Era Reaches Strasbourg
On May 23, two distinguished Queen’s Counsel squared off before a Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in a rare inter-state case on the court’s docket, Georgia v. Russia (II). -
SinoTech: Whiplash in U.S.-China Tech Trade Relations, with More Conflict on Horizon
The U.S.-China trade conflict appeared to reach a temporary détente last week after the Trump administration agreed to resuscitate Chinese telecom giant ZTE in exchange for a package of concessions by th... -
Saudi-Backed Forces in Yemen Near Strategic Houthi City
War in Yemen Approaches Critical Port for Aid Deliveries -
Can the Pentagon Restrict Congressional Foreign Travel?
A recent story from Bryant Harris at Al-Monitor reveals growing tension between the Trump administration and House Democrats over congressional travel to parts of the Middle East and South Asia. -
Water Wars: Bombers Away
On May 18, the China Daily reports, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force landed multiple H-6K bomber aircrafts on the disputed Woody Island in the South China Sea. This is the first time China has publ... -
How Conflicts (Don’t) End
Editor’s Note: May 22, 2018, marked the twentieth anniversary of referenda in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland that laid the groundwork for one of the most celebrated peace accords in the mod... -
The Supreme Court of Israel Dismisses a Petition Against Gaza Rules of Engagement
On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Israel dismissed a petition against the rules of engagement governing use of force by the Israeli security forces in the violent clashes in Gaza (HCJ 3003/18 Yesh Din v.... -
Addressing China’s Technology Policies: Beyond the Whiplash of a ZTE Deal
Among the many crises that have defined this last week has been the whiplash over whether or not the United States and China can come to a deal to avert a trade war. Optimism rose last weekend when Treas...
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