Sami El-haj was working as a cameraman with Al Jazeera when he was captured and consequently detained at Guantanamo. He spent six years at the facility and is now the Manager the of Public Liberties and Human Rights Department at Al-Jazeera Network.
This article by Mr. El-haj was originally published by the International Review of the Red Cross earlier this Spring.

Guantanamo

US detention

IRRC

April 30, 2013 by Simon Schorno

ICRC President on DR Congo

ICRC President Peter Maurer was in the DRC last week to take stock of our operation and the humanitarian situation in the country.

In Goma, Mr. Maurer spoke of daily attacks against civilians taking place "amid total indifference" and called on the parties and the international community to urgently work for greater respect for IHL.

Mr. Maurer was in Paris yesterday, asking donors for broader support, including for our DRC operation. He provides a dramatic picture of the overall humanitarian situation and explains that we will aim to increase our programs in the DRC, particularly in the east of the country.

April 27, 2013 by Ben Saul

IHL and Terrorism, Part IV - Ben Saul responds

We continue our Series and exchange of views on the conflation of armed conflict and terrorism with a guest post by Professor Ben Saul, of the University of Sidney Law School.

The ICRC’s report on IHL and the challenges of contemporary armed conflict makes three critical points about terrorism. First, existing IHL is reasonably capable of regulating violent methods of war which are commonly described as terrorism. There is thus little apparent benefit from superimposing an additional regime of counter-terrorism law on armed conflict.

Secondly, the international legal suppression and criminalization of terrorism interferes in incentives under IHL – such as they are – for armed groups to comply with IHL, because if treated as terrorists they have little to lose by violating IHL and gain little by respecting it.

Americas

United States

IHL and the challenges of contemporary armed conflicts

IHL and Terrorism

April 24, 2013 by Gabor Rona

IHL and Terrorism, Part III - HRF's Gabor Rona endorses, broadens ICRC positon

Gabor Rona, international legal director at Human Rights First, responds to our previous posts about the legal framework applicable to terrorism, and discusses the possible implications for humanitarian action.

Many thanks to the ICRC for inviting me to weigh in on the last of five topics in their 2011 "Challenges of Contemporary Armed Conflicts" report: “The Conflation of IHL and the Legal Framework Governing Terrorism.”

Americas

United States

IHL and the challenges of contemporary armed conflicts

IHL and Terrorism

April 23, 2013 by Simon Schorno

In DR Congo, a dire situation today... and 35 years ago

ICRC President Peter Maurer today held a press conference in Kinshasa to bring attention to the humanitarian situation in the Kivus.

Sadly, we have been present in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the last 35 years and while the geography and dynamics of the conflict might have changed, the same fundamental problem - disrespect of the basic principles of IHL by parties - persists.

This June 12, 1978 interview with delegate Jeanne Egger about our response to fighting in Kolwesi, in Katanga province, illustrates the continuing plight of Congolese civilians and our longstanding relationship with their National Red Cross Society.

April 22, 2013 by Simon Schorno

Arms Trade Treaty - What remains to be done

The adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty on April 2nd - the first time that a majority of States agreed to establish controls on international transfers of conventional weapons and ammunition - was a historic moment.

Nathalie Weizmann, a legal advisor at our Arms Unit, was the ICRC's focal point for the negotiations that led to the treaty's adoption.

She explains the scope the treaty and its potential impact on persons affected by armed conflict and violence, the role played by the ICRC in the negotiations, and what now needs to be done for States to deliver on their promises.

Arms Trade Treaty

United Nations

IHL

April 22, 2013 by Simon Schorno

Book Of The Month - Research Handbook On Human Rights And Humanitarian Law

Research Handbook On Human Rights And Humanitarian Law, edited by R. Kolb and G. Gaggioli, 2013, Edward Elgar.

This volume explores the interplay between international human rights law and IHL, with expert analysis on the issues surrounding their application in armed conflicts. Contributors provide comment on the historical background and origins of these two bodies of law and their application today.

The Handbook is divided in four parts - Historical Background, Common Issues, The Need for a Combined Approach, and Monitoring Mechanisms, with contributions by leading experts, including the ICRC's.

Book of the month

IHL

April 19, 2013 by Robert Chesney

IHL Challenges Series - IHL And Terrorism, Part II, Bobby Chesney's response

First guest post in the IHL and Terrorism segment of our ongoing series, where Professor Bobby Chesney - of the University of Texas School of Law and a Lawfare editor - responds to an explanation of the ICRC position by our own Jelena Pejic.
Professor Chesney highlights what in his view is the lack of clarity of certain claims made by the ICRC, and offers a complementary interpretation of the legal framework applicable to terrorism.

Has invocation of an armed-conflict model in connection with counterterrorism over the past dozen years resulted in a problematic conflation of applicable legal norms? Part VI of the Conference Report contends that the answer is yes, on multiple levels.

Americas

United States

IHL and the challenges of contemporary armed conflicts

IHL and Terrorism

April 15, 2013 by Simon Schorno

Video Dispatch - ICRC President on ICRC-US Relationship, Guantanamo

ICRC President Peter Maurer completed his first Washington visit last Thursday after a series of meetings with senior US officials, including President Barack Obama, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and CIA Director John Brennan.