Can the Law of Armed Conflict Survive 9/11?

Extract

For those of my generation, the question always used to be, “Can you remember where you were when you heard of Kennedy's assassination?” I can, but that question has now been replaced by “Can you remember where you were when you heard about the Twin Towers?” Again I can. But such earth shattering events have different effects. Whilst the Kennedy assassination led to a plethora of conspiracy theories, books and films, it did not have any effect on the international legal structure. “9/11”, on the other hand did. Although for many, the key issue is the strain placed on the laws of armed conflict, or international humanitarian law, to me “9/11” has challenged the very framework of international law itself, revealing a schism that has been there for some decades but which has been masked by other more demanding issues. I talk about the interrelationship between the law of war and the law of peace. Where does peace stop and war start and do the legal boundaries correspond?