[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.]
Islamic State
President Obama`s Full Speech on ISIS, Lisa Crivelli
MSNBC presents the full text of US President Obama`s outlining systemic airstrikes against Islamic State fighters and increasing military assistance to the Syrian opposition.
House Votes to Arm Syrian Rebels, Matt Fuller
Roll Call reports on the 319-108 House of Representatives vote to pass a resolution giving the president authority to provide aid to Syrian rebels fighting Islamic State.
Top Army General: Ground Troops Needed to Defeat ISIS Militants, Kristina Wong
Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno has been quoted in The New York Times arguing that only ground forces are capable of "rooting out" Islamic State fighters in Iraq.
Syria, Iran Slam US Strategy in Fighting Militants, Associated Press
Syrian and Iranian officials have protested their exclusion in an international coalition announced by the United States to fight Islamic State.
Obama`s Long War in the Middle East, William Greider
Greider calls Obama Administration rhetoric regarding strikes against ISIS in the Middle East "double-talk" covering plans for a "long war" in the Middle East resembling that following the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.
Another Western War Won`t End Terror in Iraq or Syria. It Will Only Spread It, Seumas Milne
Increasing bombing and the US` military presence in Iraq and Syria is unlikely to destroy Islamic State and its supporters, but very likely to enhance its recruiting power, writes Milne for The Guardian.
Against Tyranny, Obscurantism, and Invasion, Ibrahim al-Amin
Writing for Al-Akhbar, al-Amin highlights the hypocrisy of US sudden purported concern for the rise of ISIS and writes against any further US involvement in the region.
The Saudi Lobbying Complex Adds a New Member: GOP Super PAC Chair Norm Coleman, Lee Fang
The Nation covers the rise of former US Senator Norm Coleman to prominence in a number of lobbying groups on the payroll of Saudi Arabia, making him the first leader of a Super PAC to lobby for a foreign government and one of the more vocal lobbyists in favor of military action against Islamic State.
To Confront the Islamic State, Seek Truce in Syria, Yezid Sayigh
Sayigh calls for the US and Saudi Arabia to impose truces upon their clients in the Syrian armed opposition and for Iran to ask the Syrian government to also declare a siege to put both in a better position to confront the Islamic State.
Islamic State and International Law
The 9/11 AUMF Does Not Cover ISIS, Jens David Ohlin
Writing for Opinio Juris, Ohlin, a professor at Cornell University Law School finds the Obama Administration argument that the 9/11 Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Terrorists provides an authorization for military intervention against Islamic State implausible.
A White House Position That Stands on a Narrow Definition of War, Mark Landler
The New York Times reports that the Obama Administration`s relies on an "extremely narrow" definition of combat to justify the notion of using ground troops should air strikes fail to effectively push back Islamic State—one that "virtually every military expert" rejects.
Congress`s Inaction Could Be Legal Basis for Stronger Executive War Powers, Charlie Savage
Savage interviews a number of legal scholars who warn that Congressional inaction or silence on the issue of Islamic State policy may be interpreted as approval of recent Executive Branch actions, and could create a precedent of expanded Executive Branch war powers.
US Palestine Activism
The Salaita Case and the Big Money Takeover of State Universities, Michael Hiltzik
The Salaita firing is the latest in a growing trend of major donors manipulating state university administrators to make decisions in line with their own preferences, even to the detriment of academic freedom, writes Hiltzik in The Los Angeles Times.
For Peace`s Sake, Jonathan Beaseley
The Harvard Gazette interviews Atalia Omer, associate professor of religion, conflict, and peace studies at the University of Notre Dame, on the challenges faced by Jewish and Palestinian peace activists face as well as the state of the Jewish solidarity movement in general.
Leaked Email Reveals ADL Advice to Universities Urging Anti-Palestine Crackdown, Ali Abunimah
The Electronic Intifada leaks an Anti-Defamation League email to the chancellor of the University of California, Davis implying that legal action will be taken should the university not crack down on pro-Palestinian student activities.
Why the BDS Movement Can No Longer Be Ignored, Shir Hever
Writing for Middle East Eye, Shir Hever surveys the rising economic costs of Israeli colonialism and suggests ways Israel might eventually begin to fracture if its exports are seriously harmed by ongoing boycott activity.
Palestine-Israel
US Guilty of War Crimes in Palestine, Sam Bahour
Bahour covers a policy paper published by the Palestine-Israel Working Group of Historian Against the War (HAW) arguing that the United States repeatedly violates its own domestic law as well as international law in providing billions in military assistance to Israel, a consistent violater of Palestinian "internationally recognized human rights."
Hamas Will Not Break Ceasefire, Gaza Leader Vows, Elhanan Miller
Mahmoud Al-Zahar, a former foreign minister in the Hamas government of Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh, has vowed that Hamas will not attack Israel after 26 September unless Israel strikes first.
UN Says Palestinians, Israelis Reach Deal on Gaza Reconstruction, Michelle Nichols
Reuters reports that the United Nations, Israel and the Palestinian Authority have agreed to allow reconstruction to begin in the Gaza Strip, work costing an estimated $7.8 billion, with the UN monitoring the flow of materials in and out of Gaza as well as the use of materials in Gaza.
Other
Libyan PM Says Qatar Sent Arms to Opposition, Al Jazeera English
Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni has alleged that Qatar has sent three military planes carrying military supplies to a Tripoli airport controlled by an anti-government militia.
Nuclear Deal Elusive as Iran, Six Powers Resume Talks in New York, Louis Charbonneau
Reuters reports on recently resumed nuclear talks, including discussion of a proposed deal to end sanctions against Iran, in New York between Iran, the United States, and five other world powers.
A Guantanamo Test Case for the "New" DC Circuit, Steve Vladeck
Vladeck surveys the legal arguments behind, and potential chances of success of, a petition for rehearing recently filed by the petitioners of Hatim v. Obama, wherein the petitioners challenged security measures regarding detainee meetings with their lawyers (including, but not limited to, genital searches) as violating the detainees` right to counsel.
‘Urban Shield’: Where Hostility Towards Minorities meets Policing on Steroids, Roqayah Chamseddine
Writing for Al-Akhbar, Chamseddine discusses the rise of Urban Shield and the way it impacts marginalized communities across the globe, as well as potential points of resistance to it.