[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Occupation, Intervention, and Law and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the O.I.L. Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each biweekly roundup to OIL@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every other week.]
News
Obama Hints at US Military Action at Syria as Administration Readies Lethal Aid Options, Associated Press
Barack Obama has indicated his administration will consider US military action in Syria should substantial evidence suggesting the Assad regime has used chemical weapons emerge.
Gazan Killed After Israeli Is Stabbed to Death in the West Bank, Isabel Kershner and Fares Akram
The New York Times reports on two attacks in Israel and the Gaza Strip, one involving the stabbing death of an Israeli citizen, the other the death of a Palestinian at the hands of an Israeli air strike.
Gadhafi’s Son Appears in Remote Local Court For Second Time as Lawlessness Continues in Libya, Associated Press
The Washington Post features a story on the opening of Seif al-Islam Gadhafi’s trial in Libya and the controversy revolving Libya’s right and ability to try him fairly.
US, Israeli Officials Confirm, Israel Launched Air Strike in Syria, Reuters
Officials speaking on behalf of Israel and the United States, respectively, confirm that Israel launched an air strike in Libya, targeting missiles Israel claims were en route to Lebanon.
Guantanamo Attorney Found Dead in Apparent Suicide, Jason Leopold
Andy P. Hart, a public defender assigned to Guantanamo detainee Mohammed Rahim al-Afghani, has died of an evident self-inflicted gunshot wound.
U.N. Officials: Force-feeding Guantanamo Protesters Violates International Law, Agence France-Presse
Rubert Coville, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, argues in a statement to AFP that force-feeding hunger strikers in Guantanamo violates international law if “perceived as torture or inhumane treatment…”
Obama Renews Push for Closing Guantanamo
Amidst two-thirds of the detainees engaging in a hunger strike, President Obama has announced a new push to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, arguing it’s existence is “not necessary” to secure America’s national security goals.
Blogs
Assad’s Castaways, J. Malcolm Garcia
The blog of Guernica magazine features a recent story covering the plight of child refugees of the war in Syria in Turkey.
Responses on Non-American Views of the ATS, and Marko Milanovic’s Response to Eric Posner, Kenneth Anderson
Anderson, writing on Opinio Juris, responds to Eric Posner`s comment that ATS litigation is widely thought of as illegal under international law by most foreign international lawyers.
Palestinian Students at Hebrew University Call on Morgan Freeman, Jian Ghomeshi to Skip Canada Fundraiser, Ali Abunimah
Abunimah covers the efforts of Palestinian student groups at Hebrew University to concvince actor Morgan Freeman and broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi to pull out of a fundraiser in Toronto held by Candian Friends of Hebrew University.
The Death of the ATS and the Rise of Transnational Tort Litigation, Roger Alford
Arguing in Opinio Juris that Kiobel leaves human rights lawyers with “precious few alternatives” to Alien Tort Statute litigation, Alford raises the possibility that transnational tort litigation may prove to be a useful alternative.
Commentary
Israeli Football, Racism and Politics: The Ugly Side of the Beautiful Game, Jonathan Cook
Cook argues against integrating Israeli football into European competitions, arguing its refusal to halt settlements in the West Bank merits European opposition akin to that given to apartheid-era South Africa.
Israel’s Fraying Image, Jacob Heilbrunn
Ahead of AIPAC’s upcoming spring meeting in Washington, DC, Jacob Heilbrunn argues in The National Interest that “Israel’s image seems to be under challenge as never before” in the United States.
Hawking Something, Micah Zenko
Zenko argues in Foreign Policy that none of the stated policy objectives offered by those favoring intervention in Syria could be achieved through a United States military action, be it to deter Iran, protect Jordan, “pick winners” to run the country after Assad’s fall, or prevent the additional use of chemical weaponry.
Palestine and the Left, Jacobin Editors
The editorial staff of Jacobin argues in favor of the Left embracing radical action in favor of “Palestinian self-determination and decolonization without reservations” ahead of the new Jacobin issue’s special section on Palestine.
Reports
Current Cases: Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Company
The Center for Constitutional Rights provides an overview of the recent Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. case regarding the use of the Alien Tort Statute and downloads of briefs and decisions associated with the case.
Two Unsustainable Urbanisms: Dubai and Gaza, Karim Elgendy and Joumana al Jabri
Carboun offers an infographic comparing geographic and demographic data of Gaza and Dubai, demonstrating how two vastly different political and economic climates have produced similarly unsustainable urban structures.
Conferences
Targeted Killings Away from a “Hot” Battlefield: Exploring the Legal Issues; May 28 2013, 6-7:30pm; New York City Bar, 42 West 44th St.; Register here.
On Jadaliyya
Statement by Palestinian Youth Movement on Refugee Camps in Syria, Jadaliyya Reports
Expanding the Legal Paradigm for Palestine: An International Law Conference at Birzeit University, Allegra Pacheco
O.I.L. Monthly Edition (April 2013), O.I.L. Editors
Always with the Oppressed: A Farewell to Akiva Orr 1931-2013, Humanist, Radical, Heretic, Musa Budeiri
هل يعيد التاريخ الاقتصادي الفلسطيني نفسه؟, Raja Khalidi
إعادة التفكير بإسرائيل – فلسطين, Noura Erakat
Ubiquitous Liberalism: Amr Shalakany on Law and Revolution in Egypt, Elias Muhanna
Justice Is Universal: A Panel Discussion on Palestine, Comparative Frameworks, and Solidarity, Jadaliyya Reports
Sara Roy on Dispossessing Palestine (Video), Jadaliyya Reports
A lecture from Dr. Sara Roy, a Senior Research Scholar at the Center for Middle East Studies at Harvard University.
The Pitfalls of Democratic Elections in Palestine, Mouin Rabbani