In The News

In The News, Military Legitimacy, Notable Websites and Blogs, Recent & Past Publications August 8, 2017

USA Today – Trump White House weighs unprecedented plan to privatize much of the war in Afghanistan – 8 August 2017

Erik Prince is a former Navy SEAL officer and founder of Blackwater USA. He is chairman of the Frontier Services Group, a logistics company focused on Africa and South Asia. (Photo: Oxford Union, REX, Shutterstock, via AP) https://usat.ly/2ulHHJr https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/08/08/war-afghanistan-trump-white-house-weighs-bold-plan-privatize/548004001/ “The White House is actively considering a bold plan to turn over…

In The News, Military Legitimacy, Recent & Past Publications, This Day In History & Historical Perspectives August 4, 2017

NY Times – Court Rejects a Murder Conviction and Voids 3 Sentences in Blackwater Case – 4 August 2017

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/world/middleeast/blackwater-contractors-iraq-sentences.html?emc=edit_na_20170804&nl=breaking-news&nlid=44923803&ref=cta&referer= And for background, see: Govern, Kevin H. and Bales, Eric C., Taking Shots at Private Military Firms: International Law Misses its Mark (Again) (May 29, 2008). Fordham International Law Journal, Vol. 32, No. 1, 2008. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2070437  

In The News, Military Legitimacy, Recent & Past Publications, This Day In History & Historical Perspectives August 1, 2017

Current Events and Policy Involving North Korea – 1 August 2017

http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/31/politics/north-korea-ejection-test-submarine-activity/index.html https://www.google.com/amp/www.nbcnews.com/news/north-korea/amp/sen-lindsey-graham-trump-says-war-north-korea-option-n788396 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/31/trump-vows-all-necessary-measures-to-protect-allies-from-n-korea-says-abe https://www.google.com/amp/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN1AG04F And for some perspective from the Congressuonal Research Service (CRS): https://fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/R41259.pdf and CRS reports And https://www.rand.org/blog/2017/07/a-surgical-strike-against-north-korea-not-a-viable.html?adbsc=social_20170809_1721471&adbid=895299134793502724&adbpl=tw&adbpr=22545453

In The News July 28, 2017

Washington Post – Japan defense minister quits over peacekeepers’ cover-up – 28 July 2017

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/world/africa/japans-defense-chief-quits-over-alleged-document-cover-up/2017/07/27/de09516c-733a-11e7-8c17-533c52b2f014_story.html Japan’s Defense Minister Tomomi Inada speaks during a press conference on her resignation of minister at Defense Ministry in Tokyo Friday, July 28, 2017. Inada has resigned over an alleged cover-up of military documents from U.N. peacekeeping operations.(Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press)

General Interest, In The News, Military Legitimacy, Notable Websites and Blogs July 24, 2017

Lawfare – Federal Prosecution is a Viable Option for Enemy Combatants – 24 July 2017

https://www.lawfareblog.com/federal-prosecution-viable-option-enemy-combatants By Mary B. McCord Monday, July 24, 2017, 2:19 PM “It is true, of course, that the United States will not have an Article III option in every case in which it has the opportunity to take custody of an enemy combatant. Law enforcement officials may lack the quantum…

In The News, Military Legitimacy, Notable Websites and Blogs May 18, 2017

The Diplomat – China’s Maritime Operation: The ‘Gray Zone’ in Black and White – 18 May 2017

Image Credit: China Defense Blog http://thediplomat.com/2017/05/chinas-maritime-operation-the-gray-zone-in-black-and-white/ There is no problem in the “gray zone” because the “gray zone” does not exist. By Ben Lowsen May 18, 2017 “Much has been made lately of China’s maritime operations in the “gray zone,” referring to operations achieving military objectives like island seizure while…