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5. Mary Ellen O'Connell

Mary Ellen O'Connell

Robert and Marion Short Professor of Law

A vice president of the American Society of International Law ─ the leading organization of its kind in the world ─ Mary Ellen O’Connell is a noted participant in debates on the law and morality of using military force. She chairs the International Law Association’s Committee on the Use of Force, which just completed a five-year study of the definition of armed conflict. She has testified before Congress and spoken to a wide variety of audiences about the international legal restraints on the use of force and the origins of those restraints in the Catholic Church’s Just War Doctrine. O’Connell has sought to raise public awareness of the new technology of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. “The C.I.A. uses drones to target enemy leaders on its ‘watch list,’” O’Connell stated in an article published in the March 15 issue of America magazine, “but the attacks inevitably kill many people who are not on the list, including innocent women and children.” A prolific scholar who also is doing pioneering work in the field of international legal theory, O’Connell is the author of “The Power and Purpose of International law,” an explication of the foundations of international law and an answer to those who deny its status as law.

VIDEOS

ND EXPERTS

Al-Awlaki killing was illegal

U.S. is “most definitely” involved in hostilities in Libya

Standing by the rule of law in terrorism trials

Law School’s O’Connell comments on al- Marri charges

Law School’s O’Connell praises Bush decision not to assist attack on Iran

Law School’s O’Connell urges Guantanamo closing

Law School Professor O’Connell extols international law

Law School’s O’Connell assesses legality of Caucasus war

Law scholar supports World Court order to halt executions

Law professor Mary Ellen O’Connell ponders international responsibility in Darfur crisis

U.S. must not dilute prisoner treatment policies

ND NEWSWIRE ARTICLES

Law professor launches book on international law

Law School’s O’Connell testifies before Congress

IN THE NEWS

Huffington Post—Drone Attacks Spur Legal Debate On Definition Of ‘Battlefield’

Associated Press—Lawmakers Test Legal Waters For Regulating Drones

New York Times—A Contradiction in Terms

NBC—4 key questions about controversial Justice Department drone memo

CNN—On drone killings, Brennan doesn’t uphold our values

WTTW – Unmanned Drones

CNN—When are drone killings illegal? (op-ed)

The Guardian (U.K.)—The legal dilemma over drone strikes: justified killings or war crimes?

Miami Herald—Families of killed al-Qaida figures file wrongful death suit against U.S. officials

Inter Press Service—Families of U.S. Victims of Drone Attacks Sue Top Officials

The Guardian—US drone strikes in Yemen crucial to prevent terrorist threat, Panetta says

Rolling Stone—The Rise of the Killer Drones: How America Goes to War in Secret

Russia Today—As Masks Fall, is ‘Murder, Inc.’ the real face of the US?’

BBC News—How Iran might respond to Israeli attack

Associated Press—Holder gives legal defense for al-Awlaki killing

NPR—Holder Spells Out Why Drones Target U.S. Citizens

NPR—Obama’s Military Tactics: Risky Missions, Elite Units

The Guardian—Why Obama’s ‘targeted killing’ is worse than Bush’s torture

Al-Jazeera—Targeted killing and the ‘War on Terror’

Washington Post—Administration should do more to defend the Awlaki strike

NPR—Op-Ed: Legality And Wisdom Of Killing Al-Awlaki

PBS—Using Drones Outside Combat Zones

Reuters—Killing of American in Yemen raises legal questions

CNN—U.S. drone killing of American al-Awlaki prompts legal, moral debate

Huffington Post—Al-Awlaki Killing In Yemen Raises Constitutional Questions

Financial Times—CIA kills al-Qaeda cleric

PBS—The Ethics of Drones

New York Times—A Moral Flip-Flop? Defining a War

Al-Jazeera—The US love affair with drones

NPR—Popularity Of Drones Takes Off For Many Countries

WFAE 90.7 FM—Human Rights Defender Now Fights For U.S. Policy

Minnesota Public Radio—Human Rights Defender Now Fights For U.S. Policy

NPR—Human Rights Defender Now Fights For U.S. Policy

CNN—U.S. strains credibility on its Libya role

NPR—Debate: Did Obama Overstep His Authority In Libya?

Foreign Policy—The bin Laden aftermath: Abbottabad and international law

CNN—Drone warfare won’t win in Libya

Inside Higher Ed.—The Use of Armed Drones

Wall Street Journal— U.S. Works with Sudan on Gitmo

Legal Questions Raised Over CIA Drone Strikes

America Magazine: Flying Blind: U.S. combat drones operate outside international law

NPR—Airstrikes In Pakistan’s Tribal Areas Legally Murky