Foreword

• Author: J. L. Shuford
• Position: Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy. President, Naval War College
• Pages: ix-x

Foreword

The International Law Studies "Blue Book" series was initiated by the Naval

War College in 1901 to publish essays, treatises and articles that contribute

to the broader understanding of international law. This, the eightieth volume of

the series, contains edited proceedings of acolloquium entitled Current Issues in

International Law and Military Operations hosted here at the Naval War College on

June 25-27, 2003. '

The colloquium's mission was to examine the latest developments in inter-

national law, drawing on issues from then ongoing military operations. In do-

ing so, the colloquium participants focused on the applicability and operation

of the law of occupation, the perspective of military judge advocates at the stra-

tegic, operational, and tactical levels in Operation Iraqi Freedom, maritime op-

erations issues in armed conflict and military operations other than war,

including navigational freedoms in international waters and airspace, the in-

creasingly complex considerations of combatant status and coalition opera-

tions, developments in the laws of targeting and information operations, and

challenges faced in the interpretation and application of the law of armed con-

flict in current and future conflicts.

Renowned international scholars and practitioners, both military and civil-

ian, representing government and academic institutions from throughout the

world participated in the colloquium, which was co-sponsored by the Strategic

Studies Institute of the United States Armv War College at Carlisle Barracks;

the Israeli Yearbook on Human Rights, Tel Aviv, Israel; the United States Coast

Guard Academy; the Francis Lieber Society of the American Society of Interna-

tional Law; the Judge Advocate General of the Navy; the Naval War College

Foundation; the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy of

Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island; and the International Law

Department of the Center for Naval Warfare Studies, United States Naval War

College.