Law, Ethics, and the War on Terror

Matthew Evangelista is Professor of Government and Director of the Peace Studies Program at Cornell University.

"I disagree with very large amounts of this book - and learned more from it at the level of moral, social and political philosophy than 90% of the stuff I have read in this field in the last two years ... if you are a critic, like me, then you are much more attuned to the extraordinary care (Evangelista) takes with his argumentation. Highly recommended."Kenneth Anderson, Opinio Juris "It is a sad but obvious truth that studies of the ethics of force have been something of a growth industry since the early 1990s and especially, of course, since 2001. Law, Ethics and the War on Terror is an excellent addition to this growing body of work."Perspectives"Evangelista's treatment is elegant and broadly thematic, dealing with foundational issues."Survival"Evangelista has produced a beautifully written, cogent and often surprising analysis of the struggle for the future of international humanitarian law, and indeed for the rule of law itself. As he demonstrates, it's a struggle in which the forces of civil society ironically find their most challenging foe in what was once their most powerful ally – the United States."David Cole, Georgetown University"This meticulous study of a crucial constitutional question, played out in real time in real life, should underpin all knowledgeable discussions of just how the Bush administration has sought to legitimize its lawless behaviour by declaring a state of perpetual war."Eric Alterman, author of When Presidents Lie

• Preface. Introduction.1. Norms versus Practice in International Law and Ethics.2. Terrorism: Definitional Controversies.3. Suspected Terrorists as Prisoners and Targets.4. Preventive War: An Emerging Norm?.5. Humanitarian Objectives in Anti-Terror Wars.Conclusion.Bibliography.