Thursday, we welcomed @ABarnardNYT, Claus Kress & Jon Finer to @nyulaw for a discussion moderated by @rgoodlaw on the current state of play in Syria, including legal and geopolitical implications of the crisis.

We& #39;ve pulled some highlights from this fascinating conversation:

Claus Kress argued Turkeyu2019s operation was unlawful and feared that u201cthis conflict is no longer discussed in terms of international law, but just geopoliticsu2014and thatu2026is a frightening development, if one believes in the value of an intu2019l rule-based order.u201d

Jon Finer discussed the reasoning behind the original US decision to support the Syrian Kurds in the fight against ISIS and the resulting tensions with Turkey. He argued that the hasty US withdrawal undermined partners and negotiators and has not been executed strategically.

Anne Barnard said US allies violating the laws of war is not new, but the US has retreated as a beacon for human rights & the rules-based order; she noted u201ca strategic valueu201d in ideals that u201cpeople around the world aspire tou2026and promote, and that American words really matter.u201d

Panelists engaged in robust discussionu2014and sometimes disagreementu2014on issues including statesu2019 legal responsibilities to respond to Turkeyu2019s recent actions, and US strategy toward Syria and the Kurds across Administrations.

The full discussion is now available to view online: https://youtu.be/usifDyQTnTY ">https://youtu.be/usifDyQTn...