Test Flashcards
Definition of terrorism
Politically motivated violence
US war on terror facts
Started in 2001 in Afg, has ballooned to more than 65 countries. Unlimited resources dedicated (over $4 trillion), thousands of military casualties and millions of civilian casualties via both direct violence and civil strife caused indirectly. Civil liberties violations justified at home.
Assessing US war on terror
Officials say no metric of success, 3rd parties have observed massive spike in Islamic terror since start (while less on US soil, from 2k to 16k since war start)
19 extra attacks for every 1k troops
ISIS
Islamic state, terror group that sprung out of Al-Qaeda (al-Zakwari and al-Baghdadi). Began to made big territorial gains in 2014, setting up an administrative state that covered large portions of Iraq, but pushed back in following years by US coalition and holds no significant territory today
UN system + organs
Secretariat, GA that runs ECOSOC which has lots of other specific bodies under it. Parallel World Court.
Arose out of WW2 to try and end major power conflict, bring more ingrained world order.
Criticized for lacking enforcement, often restrained by funding, too beholden to great powers as no mechanism to enforce treaties against them.
Has peacekeeping forces which do observing and peacemaking, drawn from individual countries but number has dwindled in 2 decades with funding restraints.
Deals with global security, human rights, economic development
ICC
Created at Rome conference 1998 out of legacy of individual tribunals after war crimes committed
Negotiations revolved around like-minded group (universal jurisdiction, independent and investigations launched from many sources) and US coalition (weak court beholden to UNSC, tried to coerce many countries into adopting its stance)
Ultimately fairly strong court with universal jurisdiction over many new types of war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity and undefined aggression. Independent prosecutor who can prosecute with consent of either territorial or state of nationality
Singapore compromise ICC
UNSC can delay prosecution by 1 year renewable with 9/15 votes no veto allowed
Principles of international law
State sovereignty (reinforced by UN art 2.7 where UN not allowed to intervene in domestic affairs)
Sources of international law
General principles (sovereignty, keeping treaty obligations)
Treaties (~6000 currently standing treaties)
Customs and norms (such as formalizing relations via embassy establishment)
Precedent (such as international court cases)
Jus ad bellum
Just war: self-defense, authorized by legitimate authority, last resort, reasonable chance of success. In recent years also more justified in name of human rights
Jus in bello
Just war conduct: non-combatant immunity, proportionality, treatment of pows, acceptance of surrender, prohibition of certain weapons, military necessity
Diplomatic immunity
Diplomats cannot be prosecuted on foreign soil only expelled, however some poorer countries have had this privilege infringed on by US
Embassy extraterritoriality
Embassies are not subject to domestic laws
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
UN document adopted after WW2 that sets out basic rights and liberties that all humans have
Key human rights treaties
Universal declaration, Treaty on Political and Civil Rights, Treaty on Economic and Social Rights (which as a trio make up the International Bill on Human Rights)
Responses to refugee
Most western countries have allowed refugees to come for asylum, resettlement and temporary work but numbers vary, and in general pale in comparison to the neighboring Middle East countries where most reside
Negotiation definition
Process of mutual persuasion and adjustment to reach joint decision that involves shared interest, state of discord and putting aside other methods of conflict resolution
Signature and ratification of treaties + types
Convention is a broad treaty, protocol is a convention amendment (that is separate), regime is all treaties addressing problem
Signing is voluntary but once signed, bound (once ratified)
Enforcement is through self-enforcement (in self-interest or else will be isolated)
Working group
Coalition of countries with broadly similar aims, can help narrow down number of goals in negotiation but for individual countries can be extra step of approval when trying to pass own aims
Factors affecting negotiation
Number of actors involved
Transparency (can build trust but also complicate as beholden to public)
Competitiveness (fact that diplomats arrive with set objectives)
Different diplomat personalities
Two-level game model
Diplomacy takes place on two levels (state to state and domestic, trying to negotiate with actors at home over what can be ratified and competing interests etc)
Procedural inequality
Ability for country to project power during negotiation (delegation size)
Kennan changes in diplomacy
Injection of politics into State Department makes things harder (too many non-diplomats stationed abroad, ambassadors moved around often and appointed based on political connections, decision-making authority centralized within executive away from State, addition of corporate interests, etc.)
Iran deal
Allowed to enrich limited amount of uranium in exchange for IAEA inspections and lifting of sanctions. Complied but US withdrew
Stockholm and Rio conferences
‘72 and ‘92, laid out general principles of respecting environment; Commission on Sustainable Development to monitor growth in developing countries (lacks enforcement)
Issues in climate negotiation
Reciprocity/free-rider problem
Lack of effective enforcement
Habitat loss/deforestation/species loss
Ocean use (governed by UN Law of the Sea - 12 mile shipping radius and 200 mile EEZ)
Air and water pollution (oil spills, acid rain, etc)
EU institutions
Commission (bureaucrats ~25k)
Council (ministers from each country for different areas, try to direct the bureaucrats)
Parliament (oversees the yearly commission budget, functions as forum but few legislative powers)
EU court + EUROPOL police
EU Treaties
ECSC (coal and steel integration after WW2)
Treaty of Rome ‘57 to work towards common market, creates free trade zone and nuclear energy development agency
‘85 Single European Act (setting deadline for common market –> normalized many regulations)
‘92 Maastricht Treaty (named the EU, committed to monetary union, broader citizenship, military union)
‘07 Lisbon Treaty overhauled EU constitution (human rights charter, ability for member states to have more say in country admittance)
