Mary Ellen O’Connell, professor of international law at the University of Notre Dame and one of the world’s top targeted killing experts, says…
"Facts are just emerging from what is plainly another tragedy of the Syrian crisis. Turkey claims to have shot down a Russian jet over Turkish territory after repeated warnings. Turkey may believe it had the legal right to shoot down the jet. That belief omits the fundamental principle of humanity in warfare. Turkey had to know that even if the jet was over Turkey, it posed no significant security threat to Turkey. Turkey also knows that Russia is on firmer legal grounds to assist Damascus in its civil war than Turkey has to assist the opposition, which includes ISIS. Risking the lives of the Russian pilots was inexcusable. Settling the Syrian civil war with a government in place, even under Assad, is the only viable appropriate option. And it is urgent." O’Connell is available for further comment at 574-631-7953 or [email protected]
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