1. The Attack on Syria in Response to the Use of Chemical Weapons: The Legal Dimension
- Author:
- Pnina Sharvit Baruch
- Publication Date:
- 04-2018
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute for National Security Studies (INSS)
- Abstract:
- The combined attack by the United States, Britain, and France on Syrian targets following the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons has sparked extensive debate on the strike’s strategic aspects, and how, if at all, the offensive will affect the situation and the balance of power in Syria. The attack has also aroused a legal discussion, which once again highlights the limitations of the existing rules of international law when it comes to dealing with situations where the use of force is not based on the authorization of the Security Council or derived from the right to self defense. In this context, the forceful response, in and of itself, particularly being a combined attack by a number of key states, could have an impact on the development of international law with regard to the rules regarding possible legal justifications for the use of force between states.
- Topic:
- United Nations, Military Strategy, UN Security Council, and Chemical Weapons
- Political Geography:
- United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East, France, Syria, and North America