• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Naval War College Workshop Explores Legal Issues in Syria

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS151207-28
Release Date: 12/7/2015 10:14:00 PM

By Daniel L. Kuester, U.S. Naval War College Public Affairs

Newport, R.I. (NNS) -- Legal scholars, military lawyers, policy makers and representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGO) met recently at U.S. Naval War College (NWC) to discuss if and how international law is functioning in the current Syria conflict.

More than 40 participants from the Unites States and Europe were asked to provide insights for the workshop, titled 'Syria: Can international law cope?'

The effectiveness and also limits of international law were examined over the two-day workshop, according to Army Maj. Chris Ford from the Stockton Center for the Study of International Law at NWC.

'From an international law perspective, there are substantial issues with regards to when countries are allowed to use force in another country and implications of the use of force,' said Ford. 'Within international law circles, issues in Syria are some of most complex ever, so many players are involved.

'One of the players is the government in power, plus there are as many as 100 armed groups, also ISIS, Russia, the U.S. and other coalition forces in the country.'

This workshop is intended to help interested groups get a broad perspective on the issues.

'We are trying to get a blend of academic, NGO and military personnel,' said Ford. 'We want all sorts so people who have interest in this sort of conflict to be talking to one another.'

Vice Adm. James Crawford III, judge advocate general for the Navy, attended the meeting and said the timing of the workshop was important.

'Coming on the heels of the attacks in Paris, the Syria workshop was especially timely and brought home the point that any effort to degrade and defeat the threat posed by ISIL will be effective only if it is coordinated across the whole of government and with partner nations,' said Crawford.

The annual workshop is sponsored by Stockton Center and the Center for the Rule of Law at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York, and rotates between the two locations.

Army Lt. Col. Shane R. Reeves, professor of law at West Point, said the meeting's goal was to bring together different viewpoints.

'The goal of the workshops is to bring together practitioners and academics to study complex, contemporary international legal issues,' said Reeves. 'Through these events military and government practitioners gain a broader perspective on the issues and consequently provide better legal advice to decision makers.'

According to Crawford, working with the outside groups was valuable.

'The discussions with our international military partners were extremely informative as to what measures they have implemented to deal with the threat of returning fighters, as well as the limitations of those measures,' said Crawford. 'International law, particularly the principle of non-intervention and the prohibition on the use of force, challenges the international community's ability to respond to the Syrian conflict given the role of the Assad regime in fomenting the violence and creating the conditions from which ISIL arose. The workshop made it very clear that any lasting solution will require not only degrading the immediate threat posed by ISIL, but more importantly, finding a diplomatic solution to deal with the initial source of the violence.'

Crawford noted that measures must also be found to hold accountable all those responsible, regardless of affiliation, for violations of the law of armed conflict.

'The legal issues presented by the conflict in Syria are some of the most complicated in recent history,' Crawford said. 'This is no surprise given the ever changing, convoluted situation on the ground. This conflict is not a single conflict involving two parties, but is more accurately described as multiple conflicts between multiple non-state groups with fluid interests and allegiances.

'By bringing together leading scholars and military attorneys in a forum where the legal issues could be fully, frankly and critically assessed, the workshop significantly improved our understanding and our ability to provide critical analysis for our clients.'