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Syrian Studies through the lens of Strategic Studies
Full text linkThis reflective essay examines the intellectual, methodological, and ethical challenges of conducting military-focused research on Syria during and after the Arab Spring. Drawing from personal experience and scholarly inquiry, the piece interrogates how authoritarian secrecy, conflict-driven instability, and the opacity of military institutions profoundly shaped the trajectory of the author’s research over nearly a decade. What began as a comparative analysis of military behavior in Syria, Egypt, and Tunisia evolved into a deeper engagement with interdisciplinary methods and virtual ethnography, necessitated by restricted access to primary sources, fieldwork, and firsthand testimony. The paper traces the evolution of the author’s research questions, theoretical frameworks, and methodological adaptations in response to censorship, propaganda, and political risk. It also introduces the concept of the efficient military—an alternative to Huntington’s professional model—emerging from these constraints. Ultimately, the essay contributes to Syrian Studies by foregrounding the complexities of knowledge production under authoritarianism and the critical need for reflexivity, creativity, and resilience in researching institutions of power in closed regime
A Consideration of the Legality of U.S. Targeted Killings in Pakistan Under International Human Rights Law
Full text linkIn the wake of atrocities, the international system has forged legal frameworks that regulate state action, however, the ever-evolving nuances of the framework make prosecuting difficult. International Humanitarian Law (IHL) protects civilians during an “armed conflict”.[1] If a conflict does not meet IHL’s legal threshold for an “armed conflict”, it is governed by International Human Rights Law (IHRL).[2] State actions to combat terrorism threats, especially in a military counterterrorism model, have more protections under IHRL than IHL.[3] The United State’s justifications for the War on Terror (WOT) challenge the current legal system by arguing that IHL should adapt to allow states to address “new” transnational terrorism threats.[4] When discussing legality, it is important to note that the law is not always moral or effective. This article limits its scope to the execution of the WOT in Pakistan through a legal perspective and highlights the use of drone strikes. I will argue that the use of drone strikes for targeted killings in Pakistan is illegal under IHRL because it does not meet the necessary legal criteria. First, I will illustrate that conflict within Pakistan does not meet the minimum organizational and intensity requirements to be classified as an “armed conflict” and is, therefore, governed by IHRL rather than IHL. Secondly, I will demonstrate that U.S. drone strikes within Pakistan were not legal under IHRL because they have become the default policy, violate Just War principles, and do not seek less lethal means.
[1] International Committee of the Red Cross, “ICRC, IHL and the Challenges of Contemporary Armed Conflicts,” accessed December 16, 2024, https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/icrc-ihl-and-challenges-contemporary-armed-conflicts.
[2] Eric Heinze, “The Evolution of International Law in Light of the ‘Global War on Terror,” Review of International Studies 37, no. 3 (2011): 1069, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0260210510001014.
[3] Yolandi Meyer, “The Legality of Targeted-Killing Operations in Pakistan,” The Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa 47, no. 2 (2014): 234, https://www.jstor.org/stable/24585870.
[4] “ICRC, IHL and the Challenges of Contemporary Armed Conflicts,” International Committee of the Red Cross
Trends in Syrian Studies in a time of internal war
Full text linkThis issue, Vol 16, No 1, of Syria Studies explores the impact of Syria’s internal war on research and analysis of Syria in the more the more than decade beginning soon after the outbreak of the Syrian uprising. Contributors write from the perspective of their own research and positionality as researchers from/of Syria. They explore such questions as: How do we conduct research amidst protracted war? What constitutes ‘the field’ when access to the country is virtually impossible for many of us? How are our research questions and methods shaped by the current state of protracted war? Abboud argues that the post-2011 period represents a new, fourth period that will shape Syrian state formation. Ghada Atrash’s essay forefronts how “epistemic activism” can disrupt knowledge production. Rula Jabbour examines the utility of Strategic Studies for iunderstanding the Syrian conflict. Sumaya Malas considers how the “post-conflict” framework discourages researchers from pursuing projects until conflicts are perceived to be over. Rimun Murad assesses the emergence of the war novel as a consequence of the conflict. Christa Salamandra’s reflection on ethnography on understanding Damascene elites. Uğur Ümit Üngör asks how the Syrian conflict has affected the conduct of wider international politics. Fadi Skeiker personal testimony centres on theatre as a practice of citizenship and social justice. Alexa Firat examines visual narratives of the conflict
Social Death: Comparisons between the plight of the Gerasene demoniac and those with dementia who are isolated from their communities
Full text linkThis article seeks to draw comparisons between the social death and extreme isolation of the Gerasene demoniac, with the social death and social isolation experienced by those with dementia who are taken into care homes and other such environments. Arguably, whether the Gerasene was possessed by demons or not, his isolation and removal from society hastened and worsened his condition. Parallels can be drawn with the worsening of dementia when the person concerned does not receive meaningful contact with others. An exploration of both conditions is detailed below, and care-focussed solutions are offered to those who wish to maintain contact with those in their community who have a diagnosis of dementia. The underpinning care given to both the Gerasene and those with dementia derives from the compassion and love God has shown to us. It is then argued that our duty as the beloved children of God is to share this love with others, in this particular case, those with dementia
Historical Analysis of Disease Prevention in Colonial India: A Medico-Legal Perspective
Full text linkModern public health in India evolved drastically during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries under colonial rule. The colonial authorities implemented and enforced various sanitary measures for the army in 1863 and civilians in 1912 through the appointment of Deputy Sanitary Commissioners and Health Officers. However, widespread public resistance broke out against cities planned according to imperial interests, instead of Indigenous welfare. Through studying Reports on Sanitary Measures in India and Gazettes, legal instruments, such as the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897, are critically assessed with their implications for both public health outcomes and civil liberties. By situating colonial disease prevention within broader frameworks of surveillance, control, and racial hierarchies, this paper contributes to understanding the complex legacies of colonial health policies and their lasting impact on postcolonial public health infrastructure. A comprehensive historical analysis of disease prevention efforts in colonial India, focusing on the intersection between medical policies and legal frameworks enforced by the British colonial administration in their regulation of epidemic diseases like cholera, the plague, and smallpox, can be understood through a medico-legal lens. This period is studied in the paper to explore how the socio-political needs of colonial rule shaped public health strategies. The findings underscore the need to reflect on how historical approaches to epidemic control inform contemporary public health practices and legal frameworks in South Asia.  
Reviewer Appreciation
Full text linkAcknowledgement of reviewers for the St Andrews Journal of International and Language Education (SAJILE), Volume 1, Issue 1 (2025), Lens on Assessment: An Opportunity for Change, to whom we extend our sincere appreciation.
Outside the Ethical Parameters: Exclusion and Connection for an Autistic Anthropologist
Full text linkIs it possible to do an ethnography on ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) without consulting a spectrum of autistic people? The limitations structural exclusion of autistic voices place on anthropological knowledges are highlighted in this proudly autistic autoethnography. In analysing the systematic mundane exclusion of autistic people in academia and beyond, alongside the joy felt in neurodivergent connection, \u27ethical\u27 exclusion of potential autistic participants is challenged. Embodied more-than-words, following SEN-based recommendations, are expressed through paintings
Achieving Environmental Justice: The Role of Climate Finance and International Cooperation between Developed and Developing Countries
Full text linkAs climate change continues to exert systemic impacts worldwide through physical and transitional risks, the environmental justice gap between developed and developing countries is becoming increasingly pronounced. Addressing the complex challenge of balancing economic development with the demands of climate change adaptation and mitigation requires in-depth exploration. This paper aims to propose solutions better suited to resolving environmental justice issues arising from climate change. The paper begins by examining the impacts of climate-related risks on both developed and developing countries, analyzing how these risks contribute to environmental justice challenges. It then provides a detailed overview of the historical cooperation between developed and developing nations through a series of international treaties to advance climate finance. Furthermore, it critically evaluates how the failures of these treaties and cooperative efforts have exacerbated environmental justice issues. Finally, the paper highlights the advantages of green bonds in achieving distributive, intergenerational, and procedural justice, demonstrating the potential of this financial tool to promote environmental justice
Criminalizing \u27Unjust Sex\u27
No full textThis essay examines the limitations of current rape law and advocates for legal reform to better protect sexual autonomy. Sexual autonomy, defined as the right to freely choose and refuse sexual interactions, is foundational to liberal legal principles. However, the concept of ‘unjust sex’, which involves manipulation, coercion, or exploitation of agency without physical force, reveals gaps in existing legal frameworks. Drawing on Ann J. Cahill’s work, the essay argues that unjust sex undermines agency and autonomy, causing significant harm that warrants criminalization. While rape nullifies sexual autonomy outright, unjust sex limits the individual’s capacity for meaningful self-determination, reinforcing systemic power imbalances. The essay addresses concerns about potential overreach, arguing that criminalizing unjust sex defends autonomy without imposing moralistic control. It concludes that protecting sexual autonomy requires acknowledging and addressing the harm caused by unjust sex
Top-Down to Bottom-Up: A Critical Analysis of the Approach to the Principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities under the Paris Agreement
Full text linkConsidered to pose the “biggest threat modern humans have ever faced”, climate change is endangering the livelihoods of humans and global ecosystems on an unprecedented scale. The systemically unjust nature of the climate crisis is widely acknowledged, as developing countries often face the most threatening consequences of climate change, while, owing to the deep-rooted effects of the colonial period, they have often contributed the least to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, both historically and in the present day.
International climate law seeks to address this structural inequality through incorporating differential treatment into its provisions, primarily through the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC). Formally introduced through the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which continues to shape the foundations of international climate law, CBDR-RC is considered to be “the most significant guiding principle in the international climate change regime”, and has undergone significant evolution in its application since the enactment of the Paris Agreement in 2016. As such, the principle has shifted in approach from strict top-down differentiation to a flexible bottom-up process of self-differentiation, guided by the publication of individual Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) documents by each Party.
The purpose of this article is to provide a critical analysis of the bottom-up approach to CBDR-RC under the Paris Agreement, determining the extent to which such an approach weakens the normative status of the principle under international law. To this end, it will begin by exploring the role of differentiation and the evolution of CBDR-RC in international climate law, discussing its application under both the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC, which was adopted in 1997. The article will then present CBDR-RC under the Paris Agreement, analysing select NDC publications to determine the efficacy of its application, before critically analysing this evidence. In doing so, it argues that the bottom-up approach to CBDR-RC under the Paris Agreement has diluted the normative force of the principle, creating a fragmented system that relies heavily on political peer pressure rather than legal accountability. The article further argues that this undermines the status of CBDR-RC as a foundational principle of international climate law, presenting serious challenges for equity, transparency, and ambition under the regime. In light of such analysis, the article will then present recommendations for reform to strengthen CBDR-RC under the Agreement, through enforcing a clearer common structure for NDCs and enhanced oversight mechanisms, before making concluding remarks.