Publisher's Synopsis
The historic International Law Studies ("Blue Book") series was initiated by the Naval War College in 1901 to publish essays, treaties and articles that contribute to the broader understanding of international law. This, the eighty-seventh volume of the "Blue Book" series, is a compilation of scholarly papers and remarks derived from the proceedings of a conference hosted at the Naval War College on June 22-24, 2010 entitled "International Law and the Changing Character of War." The June 2010 International Law Conference participants examined the international law challenges presented by the changing character of war. The objectives of the conference were to catalogue the extent to which existing international law governs these changing aspects of warfare and to assess whether these developments warrant revision of existing international law. Five panels of presenters addressed topics that spanned the entire spectrum of armed conflict and focused on several emerging legal issues. Specifically, the panelists undertook an examination of the legal issues associated with the use of force in cyberspace, the civilianization of war fighting and the concept of "direct participation in hostilities," the use of unmanned systems, lawfare in asymmetrical conflicts, and legal issues associated with the investigation and enforcement of violations of the law in asymmetrical conflicts. Renowned international academics and legal advisers, both military and civilian, representing military, diplomatic, and non-governmental and academic institutions from the global community contributed to the conference and this volume. Readers and researchers will find within this volume a detailed study of the emerging international law challenges to be had as the character ofwar evolves, as well as their potential impact on the ongoing development of international law, the law of armed conflict and military operations. The conference and the "Blue Book" were made possible with generous support from the Naval War College Foundation, the University of Texas School of Law and the Israel Yearbook on Human Rights. The International Law Department of the Center for Naval Warfare Studies, Naval War College cosponsored the event with the International Institute of Humanitarian Law and the Lieber Society on the Law of Armed Conflict, American Society of International Law. On behalf of the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, I extend our thanks and gratitude to all the participants, contributing authors and editors for their invaluable contributions to this project and to the future understanding of the law of armed conflict. JAMES P. WISECUP Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy President, Naval War College
