Illinois Law professor Lesley Wexler analyzes the Trump administration's position with respect to Syria and its use of chemical weapons. Wexler considers whether France or the US would actually follow through on their promises to use military force to enforce the Chemical Weapon Convention, and she considers whether it is even legal for states to do under the UN Charter in the absence of a need for self-defense or a UN authorization.
Cornell University law professor Michael C. Dorf comments on the legality of President Trump’s missile strike on a Syrian airbase under domestic and international law. Dorf describes the different stakes under domestic and international law of permitting military intervention for humanitarian purposes.
