January 2013
    Law No.: LAW7709
    Sched. No.: 113110119

Irregular Warfare (Sc)
Section 1
X
Nachbar, Thomas B.



Administrative Information:
During SIS enrollment, check on SIS for real-time enrollment numbers
Days, Times (Room):MTWRF, 1330-1600 (SL366)
Credits:1Type:J-term
Capacity:30 **This information is current as of 06/12/2013 06:17:57 AM**
Current Enrollment:11 **This information is current as of 06/12/2013 06:17:57 AM**
Syllabus: View Syllabus (requires LawWeb account)



Course Description:

This January term course meets Monday-Friday, January 14-18.

Irregular warfare – the “violent struggle among state and non-state actors for legitimacy and influence over relevant populations” – has become so prevalent as to render virtually ironic its characterization as “irregular”. Irregular warfare takes place in a variety of circumstances. Many irregular conflicts simply pit a nation state against a non-state actor, as in the case of armed conflicts undertaken against terrorist forces, but it is also common for conflicts between nation states to evolve into irregular conflicts, as has happened with the insurgencies that developed in the wake of the international armed conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In some cases, irregular warfare can closely resemble – some might say too closely – law enforcement. The rules that govern irregular warfare have evolved out of those that govern conflict among nations, which bear little resemblance to those applicable to law enforcement activity, the result being confusion and disagreement among courts, commentators, and practitioners.

This short course will examine the rules governing irregular warfare through a scenario-based approach that traces the development of an armed conflict through several stages, with each stage being used to explore the applicable law. The class will cover the law applicable to both traditional, inter-state armed conflict and various irregular forms of armed conflict, including insurgency and counterinsurgency, piracy, and counter-terrorism. Several practitioner experts, including a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and the Legal Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will join the class throughout the week to lend their knowledge and experience.

COURSE REQUIREMENT: Examination (70%); class participation (30%)