Search Results for: dirty war

Facing recurrent cycles of terror-violence in a “state of nature,” Israel must defend itself in both law and strategy. Though generally unacknowledged, this dual-level defense could prove gainful not just for Israel, but also for other “civilized nations” in world politics. A patently core obligation, it is universal in scope and justice-seeking in objective. Multiple [...]

The rule of law is the bedrock of international relations and human rights, ensuring that nations adhere to established norms to protect humanity during times of conflict. Within this framework, the laws of armed conflict delineate appropriate conduct in wartime through fundamental principles: military necessity, proportionality, unnecessary suffering, and discrimination. The foundational tenet of the [...]

In legend, Achilles, Greek warrior and hero of the Trojan War, fought Trojan prince Hector to avenge the death of his friend Patroclus. Hector had killed Patroclus, and he planned to cut off Patroclus’ head and give his body to the dogs for food. Before the fight, Hector waits for Achilles and then proposes that [...]

“An intentional act of injustice is an injury. A Nation has therefore the right to punish it…. This right to resist injustice is derived from the right of self-protection.” Emmerich de Vattel, The Law of Nations or the Principles of Natural Law 1758) Israel’s law-based conflict with Hezbollah and Hamas terrorism is grounded in the [...]

An Argentinian court sentenced 10 of 12 former officers on Tuesday to serve life in prison, and one to 25 years imprisonment, for crimes against humanity they committed during the country’s military dictatorship, spanning 1976 through 1983. Apart from one acquitted, the Argentina Federal Court No. 1 in La Plata convicted the rest of the defendants [...]

In the wake of the deadly Hamas terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, many of Israel’s supporters, myself included, have succumbed to the understandable impulse for violent retribution. Israel is a land that I love, both culturally as a Jew — and third-generation Holocaust survivor — and spiritually as an ordained cantor. It follows that [...]

As the Gaza conflict stumbles forward, out of control, bloody, deadly, and seemingly endless, the Israeli Prime Minister vows “total victory” against Hamas as he steps over the bodies of thousands of Palestinians caught up in the violence. Total victory is an impossibility in this conflict. The days of total victory, of unconditional surrender, are [...]

“The existence of `system’ in the world is obvious to every observer of nature, no matter whom.” Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Phenomenon of Man (1959)           Whether conspicuous or obscure, terrorism generally presents itself as a systemic challenge. This means, inter alia, that seemingly singular strategic and legal matters may actually be many-sided and interrelated. Regarding legal issues, though [...]

Colombian police arrested President Gustavo Petro’s son, Nicolas Petro on Saturday along with the President’s ex-wife Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez. The Attorney General’s Office released a statement, confirming both are facing charges of money laundering, as part of a high-profile money laundering probe into funds sourced from convicted drug traffickers and contraband traders during the [...]

As my various teams and I work at building a case against Vladimir Putin and his political and military leadership for international crimes, in conjunction with various governments and organizations worldwide, one of the questions that keeps coming up for me is: why did Putin invade Ukraine? We all have our learned and considered theories [...]