Iran’s use of cluster munitions against Israel looks like evidence of international law’s irrelevance. But as WPR columnist @charlicarpenter.bsky.social writes, a closer look suggests the opposite may be true.

This Doha Debates roundtable, in which I participated, was recorded last November - still relevant? Give it a listen and tell me what you think. www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXSq...

If you missed my UMass @sbs-umass.bsky.social webinar on international law and Iran today, you can read a summary of my key points here: www.worldpoliticsreview.com/us-israel-ir...

Interested in international law and the US/Israel/Iran war? I'll be speaking on a @sbs-umass.bsky.social webinar with some great colleagues next Tuesday March 10 at 4pm - come join us: www.umass.edu/news/article...

Academic friends, UMass PoliSci is recruiting teaching faculty in International Relations as well as other fields of political science. Please share widely!

I'll be speaking today at 4pm on this webinar about international law and the Venezuela raid that captured Maduro. Register here to join and listen: www.umass.edu/news/article...

Some reasons why civilized countries don't do 'law enforcement' missions with high explosives and blackouts www.worldpoliticsreview.com/us-venezuela...

At World Politics Review (@wpr.bsky.social) this week, I explain more about how we can know that norms against nuclear non-use are getting stronger rather than weaker in an era of nuclear brinksmanship www.worldpoliticsreview.com/nuclear-weap...

In my latest @foreignpolicy.com piece, I trace how the nuclear taboo is increasingly grounded in international humanitarian law rather than the non-proliferation regime. foreignpolicy.com/2025/08/20/n...

More positive news from @umassamherst.bsky.social Human Security Lab: www.militarytimes.com/opinion/comm...

One of the most powerful drivers in Israel's shift on food aid is the Israeli military pressuring Netanyahu to stop forcing them to carry out manifestly unlawful orders. International law at work. www.worldpoliticsreview.com/israel-aid-g...

Military-trained Americans want much stronger nuclear safeguards, worry about unilateral Presidential launch authority, says new UMass Human Security Lab / You Gov poll in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists thebulletin.org/2025/07/mili...

My latest column on why Trump should double down on, not pull out of, UN peacekeeping: www.worldpoliticsreview.com/un-peacekeep...

The nature of the US-El Salvador deportation scheme means that Trump could be indicted by the International Criminal Court. @charlicarpenter.bsky.social explains how it could happen:

One does not simply break the rules-based international order. On the American Prestige podcast this week, I talk with Danny Bessner and Derek Davison about why. Subscribe to this excellent podcast and listen here. (Non-paywalled version available in comments.) open.spotify.com/episode/7w6K...

As I head with students to the UN's nuclear ban treaty conference next week, I'm excited at my lab's emerging research findings: this treaty's very existence can and does change minds about the lawfulness of nuclear use. @nuclearban.bsky.social

My brother Lt. Col @ehcarpenter.bsky.social's new book about his time as a peacekeeper in South Sudan is topping the charts at Amazon! A great resource for classrooms, scholars and the general public interested in world affairs… and he's about to start a book tour as well: bit.ly/3QmwT9H

Guys! Here is a great new website where you can find lots of ways to get involved in protecting our human rights and fundamental freedoms. Filter by location, issue and type of event and find ways to keep the pressure on Trump to follow the constitution. Happy Monday! www.buildtheresistance.org

an early sign that institutions will hold after all? www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01...

Whew.

Civilian protection may sound like a bleeding heart issue, but the military gets tons of strategic benefits for its civilian harm mitigation dollar. Here’s why the DOD’s Center for Civilian Protrction is a bad candidate for Trump’s chopping block: www.worldpoliticsreview.com/us-military-...

my latest column in World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social: the death of the Rules-Based Order is being somewhat exaggerated

@hsecuritylab.bsky.social's new report says Zelensky should lift the ban when martial law renews in August; @StateDept & @NATO should encourage this. Why? For humanitarian and strategic reasons. To find out more, read this THREAD (if you're still on Twitter):

Over 500 days into the Ukraine war, Zelensky's travel ban on civilian men is not just hard on civilians, but unnecessary and counter-productive. New report out from @hsecuritylab.bsky.social

New @HSecurityLab survey shows majority of Ukrainians continue to oppose @ZelenskyyUa's travel ban on men 18-60. Only 42% are in favor of retaining the ban, 58% split between "Let Men Choose" or a "Different View." http://bit.ly/44uw4AM

Russia is the predator AND it's important human rights groups look both ways. @hrw.org doing that now on cluster munitions. Perhaps next on (say) the gender-biased ban on civilian men crossing the border... ??https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/zelensky-ukraine-human-rights-putin-russia-war/

ok, yes i too am now one foot in Twitterhell, one in the Twitter exodus. for my inaugural BSky post I'll re-up an early LG&M essay from a whopping thirteen years back... funny how it still fits the current zeitgeist