David Crane on Chemical Weapons and International Law

In an op-ed piece for Jurist News, Syracuse Law Professor David Crane argues against chemical warfare, particularly in regards to how the usage of chemicals weapons should be viewed and tried by governing forces.

“The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) should not ignore or walk away from the alleged use of any prohibited weapon, such as chemicals, as it signals it is permissible to violate the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and erodes international norms related to such weapons,” he said. “Further, it signals that countries with deep ties to P5 (U.K., U.S., France, Russia, China) are outside the scope of UNSC authority, therefore creating a bigger issue of eroding the international authority of the UNSC and jeopardizing the foundation of international law.”