Featured articles by staff, students, guests, professors, and any posts that are not “daily news digest”
Maritime disputes between the Japanese and Chinese continue to escalate. The Japanese-named Senkaku Islands, and the Chinese-named Diaoyu Islands continue to be a major source of conflict between the two nations. Last week, the situation escalated when Japan scrambled fighter jets after a Chinese plane flew over the islands. Though other island disputes between these … Read more
No doubt, following last week’s shooting there will be a lot of discussion surrounding amendments to U.S. gun laws. Some will argue that stricter gun laws are needed and others will say that gun rights in the U.S. are designed to self-regulate, allowing law-abiding citizens to protect themselves against violent criminals. The following is a … Read more
This land-locked, former French colony, nestled in the Sahara Desert could become a key point for the next war on terrorism as attacks against civilians in the north grow more brutal. Radical Islamists have transformed vast stretches of desert in the north into an enclave for al-Qaeda militants and other jihadists. They have imposed a … Read more
On Tuesday, President Obama announced that the newly formed Syrian Opposition Council is the only “legitimate representative” of its country’s people. This was a big step as the international community has increased its efforts to end Syrian President Bashar Assad’s reign. By recognizing the Syrian Opposition Council, the U.S. joins Britain, France, and other Arab … Read more
On November 22, 2012, President Mohammed Morsi of Egypt gave himself broad new powers related to the writing and ratification of Egypt’s constitution. The most controversial of these powers, which led to mass protests in Egypt, stated that “Morsi’s decisions could not be revoked by any authority, including the judiciary, until the new constitution had … Read more
Was Hurricane Sandy the result of global warming? Many scientists are reluctant to directly attribute this and other recent superstorms to global warming. However, it is very likely effects from climate change are influencing the severity of these storms. With the scientific world approaching a consensus that human activity is contributing to climate change, pressure … Read more
On November 29, 2012, the U.N. General Assembly voted on Palestine’s bid to elevate its status within the U.N. The resolution was to elevate Palestine’s status from a non-member observer entity to a non-member observer state, which is the same category as Vatican City. The vote was not a close one. The 193-member body voted … Read more
A few months ago, I wrote a post entitled Putting political convenience aside, pirates are simply not terrorists. The piece argues that calls to treat all pirates as terrorists are totally unfounded, at least from a legal perspective. This is because, under international law, terrorism and piracy are accompanied by explicitly-defined, mutually exclusive motives. Although I … Read more
On November 22, 2012, after eight days of fighting, the Palestine militant group, Hamas, and Israel called a cease-fire. The violence resulted in over 160 Palestinians and six Israelis dead, while many more were injured. Israel’s casualties were less extensive thanks in large part to its Iron Dome defense system, which was able to … Read more
We’ve heard of plenty of nasty dictators of modern history, like Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Mao Zedong, and Augusto Pinochet. But very little is known about Pol Pot, an equally disturbing figure. What exactly was his deal? While the Vietnam War began to wane to the east of Cambodia in the 1970s, Pol Pot, a … Read more
The Denver Journal of International Law & Policy is one of the oldest international law journals in the United States and is ranked internationally. It is managed and edited by students at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
