The former Army Chief of Staff in the Former Yugoslavia, Momcilo Perisic, was convicted this week of crimes against humanity and war crimes, for the attacks of Serb forces on civilians, and for the support he provided to the Bosnian Serb forces that, among other things, were responsible for the massacre in Srebrenicia.
Last week the U.N. panel reviewing the legality of the Israeli use of force against the Turkish flotilla in international waters last year, released its report last week. News stories on the release, and the impact on the deteriorating relations between Israel and Turkey, can be found here and here, while the report itself is here. We may touch on this when we get to the Use of Force. There is a lot of scholarship, both pro and con, on the issue of the legality of the Israeli actions, for those interested in the issue.
Finally, an issue that is looming like a runaway freight train this month, is the intention of the Palestinian Authority to seek recognition of the state of Palestine and its admission to the United Nations. The U.S. has indicated its intention to veto any such application in the Security Council, but it cannot block a vote in the General Assembly, where the application is expected to win majority support. You should follow this, as we will discuss it when we come to issues of state recognition, the essential criteria for the existence of a state, and U.N. membership.
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