Foreword

• Author: John N. Christenson
• Position: Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy, President, Naval War College
• Pages: xi-xii

Foreword

The historic 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 eighty-

eighth volume of the "Blue Book" series, is acompilation of scholarly papers and

remarks derived from the proceedings of aconference hosted at the Naval War

College on June 21-23, 2011 entitled "Non-International Armed Conflict in the

21st Century."

The purpose of the June 2011 International Law Conference was to examine

the legal issues surrounding non-international armed conflict (NIAC) in the

modern era. To this end, renowned international academics and legal advisers,

both military and civilian, representing military, diplomatic, non-governmental

and academic institutions from the global community, were invited to the War

College to analyze avariety of legal topics related to NIAC. Specifically, the panel-

ists undertook an examination of the types of NIACs and the law applicable to

each; the legal statuses of actors in NIAC; means and methods of warfare in

NIAC; recent and ongoing NIACs; detention in NIAC; and enforcement of inter-

national law in NIAC. In addition, the Honorable Harold H. Koh, Legal Adviser

of the U.S. Department of State, presented aluncheon address at the Naval Sta-

tion Newport Officers' Club on the second day of the conference.

The distinguished panelists were invited to contribute articles to this volume to

further develop their thoughts offered at the conference, and this "Blue Book" is

largely comprised of these articles. Readers and researchers will find within this

volume adetailed study of the law pertaining to non-international armed conflicts

as it is interpreted and applied in the post-September 11world, and its effect on

State actions, particularly military operations.

The conference and the "Blue Book" were made possible with generous sup-

port from the Naval War College Foundation, the Israel Yearbook on Human

Rights^the International Institute of Humanitarian Law, and the Lieber Society

on the Law of Armed Conflict, American Society of International Law.

On behalf of the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Operations and

the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Iextend our thanks and gratitude to

all the participants, contributing authors and editors for their invaluable contri-

butions to this project and to the future understanding of the law applicable in

non-international armed conflicts, the predominant form of warfare during the