Terrorism and the Military

The war against terrorism currently being waged in various parts of the world is, from a legal point of view, a hybrid operation falling within the ambit of several areas of law. The military operations which are part of that war raise questions of international law related to the laws of war. In November 2002, legal experts from the academic world, defence ministries and the military, gathered in The Hague for a two-day conference, entitled ‘Terrorism and the Military: International Legal Implications’ to seek answers to the challenges which reality poses in respect to the existing body of rules and regulations. The discussions centred on three themes: Ius ad Bellum, the laws governing the use of force; Ius in Bello, the laws governing the conduct of hostilities and Criminal law. This volume contains the proceedings of this highly informative conference, including the discussions, syntheses and an overall conclusion.