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Orde F. Kittrie Profile picture
Orde F. Kittrie
@ordefk
Law professor & think tank senior fellow; former US State Dept attorney; author Lawfare: Law as a Weapon of War (Oxford Univ. Press) RT/like/follow≠endorse
Jan 26 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
Thread: Analysis of today's ICJ order by Orde Kittrie (law professor, senior fellow, and former US State Dept. attorney):
ICJ order's negative impact on US national security: “The ICJ’s failure to entirely dismiss South Africa’s meritless claims undermines the West’s on-going fight against the many authoritarian and terrorist leaders who are willing to drive up their own sides’ casualties by using their own civilians as human shields. The court ignored that Gaza civilian casualties are massively inflated by Hamas' rampant use of Palestinian civilians as human shields.  But the court used those inflated civilian casualty figures, for which Hamas is responsible, to justify measures against Israel. In doing so, the ICJ incentivized the use of human shields by authoritarian enemies such as China and Russia, and by terrorist enemies such as ISIS and the Taliban, who like Hamas are happy to sacrifice their own civilians if it will help them to undermine Western militaries by falsely accusing them of war crimes.” 1/9 Former State Dept attorney Orde Kittrie on inaccuracy of using term “genocide” to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza: “South Africa failed to provide any substantive evidence (because there is none) that Israel is either committing or intending to commit genocide.  Indeed, Israel's advance warnings and other steps to mitigate harm to Gaza civilians make clear Israel's goal is not genocide but, far from it, to minimize Palestinian civilian casualties while lawfully exercising Israel's rights to free the hostages, apprehend October 7 atrocity perpetrators, and protect Israel's population from further attacks.” 2/9
Mar 7, 2022 • 15 tweets • 4 min read
🧵As part of new Iran deal, US to reportedly lift all sanctions on many of Iran’s most barbaric abusers of human rights, including Khamenei, Raisi, Rezaei, Deghhan. This thread gives five reasons why that is a very bad idea and describes each of their abuses of human rights. 1/ Lifting sanctions on Iran's worst human rights abusers sends a dangerous message of impunity to Putin and his henchmen at a time when they are committing war crimes in Ukraine and human rights abuses in Russia. 2/
Mar 5, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
🧵As war rages in Europe, US & Russia must carefully avoid getting close to the nuclear brink. The stakes are too high. Even in less tense periods, technical & other errors have several times nearly led to nuclear war between the US and Russia/USSR. 1/ ucsusa.org/resources/clos… For example, on January 25, 1995 the launch of a Norwegian scientific rocket was misunderstood by Russian military as a US nuclear attack (Norway's letter notifying of the launch got lost in Russia's bureaucracy). Then-President Boris Yeltsin activated his "nuclear football." 2/
Jul 14, 2021 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
Thread -- The Israel Defense Forces announced today its discovery that Hezbollah is storing rockets, military-grade explosives and other weapons in a home 25 meters from a children's school in Lebanon. 1/ jpost.com/middle-east/id… By using the civilian students of the school and civilian residents of the home as human shields for its weapons, Hezbollah is engaging in a war crime, in violation of the Geneva Conventions and customary international law. fdd.org/2020/10/15/tim… 2/
Jul 13, 2021 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Thread: The FBI and U.S. prosecutors today announced "the government of Iran directed" its agents "to plot to kidnap a U.S.-based journalist and American citizen" in New York City and smuggle her to Iran because she criticized the Iranian regime's human rights abuses. 1/ This is not first time Iranian govt has engaged in crime in U.S. In 2011, Iran plotted to bomb DC's Cafe Milano, to kill Saudi ambass. Iran's agent “made it clear that the bombing needed to go forward, even if doing so would" kill "hundred" Americans. 2/ washingtonpost.com/history/2020/0…
Jun 24, 2021 • 10 tweets • 2 min read
Thread on my new article, which lists numerous examples of Hamas use of human shields (a war crime) during May 2021 Gaza conflict and explains why Biden should fulfill his statutory obligation, under the Shields Act, to respond with sanctions. 1/ fdd.org/analysis/2021/… During May war, UN Comm. for Middle East Peace said:“Hamas & other militants’ indiscriminate launching of rockets & mortars from highly populated civilian neighborhoods into civilian population centers in Israel violates [the law of armed conflict] and must cease immediately." 2/
Nov 30, 2020 • 16 tweets • 5 min read
2/ Obama DOD Law of War Manual, issued 2016, restated & endorsed long-held JAG position that "civilian scientists occupying key positions in a weapons program regarded as vital to a nation's national security or war aims [are] liable to legitimate attack." dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Docu… 3/ Obama Admin's DOD Law of War Manual also restated & endorsed that "more than 900 of the World War II Project Manhattan personnel were civilians, and their participation in the U.S. atomic weapons program was of such importance as to have made them liable to legitimate attack."
Nov 30, 2020 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
WSJ news article: "There is broad agreement that the killing of Mr. Fakhrizadeh removed a manager with unparalleled knowledge of Iran’s past work & current capabilities, according to a former senior U.S. intelligence official."

wsj.com/articles/irans… WSJ news article: "His [Fakhrizadeh's] knowledge would have been important for Iran to mount a crash effort to build a nuclear bomb, current and former Western officials say."
wsj.com/articles/irans…
Nov 30, 2020 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
Thread on goals/progress of Iran's nuclear bomb program under Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. 1/ Evidence of goal: Photo below of Shahab-3 missiles on parade in Iran. The sign on the front truck says: "Israel must be destroyed." 2/ Evidence of progress on sign goal: Iran, led by Fakhrizadeh, designed & modeled "removal of the conventional high explosive payload from the warhead of the Shahab-3 missile and replacing it with a spherical nuclear payload"(quote from IAEA 2011 report)

iaea.org/sites/default/…
Nov 30, 2020 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
Thread:Why Israel & its GulfArab allies insist renewed Irandeal also limit new, far more accurate Iran missiles:"the continued growth in size & accuracy of Iran’s missile force ensures its ability to saturate & overwhelm missile defenses in Gulf & Israel." bit.ly/3o4ADMU 2/ "With enough PGMs (precision guided missiles) fired at the same target, Iran’s proxies may be able to outmaneuver, outsmart, or overwhelm Israeli missile-defense systems, with the result that one or more rockets would get through." commentarymagazine.com/articles/jonat…
Nov 28, 2020 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
Thread: 1/ EU is wrong to call killing of Fakhrizadeh "a criminal act." The U.S. Army JAG Corps has explicitly taken the position that such a killing is legal during international armed conflict, using as an example the U.S.'s own nuclear weapons program. law.upenn.edu/institutes/cer… 2/ Per the JAG Corps' definitive memorandum: "More than 90% of the World War II Project Manhattan personnel were civilians, and their participation in the U.S. atomic weapons program was of such importance as to have made them liable to legitimate attack." law.upenn.edu/institutes/cer…
Nov 28, 2020 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
Thread: 1/ EU is wrong to call killing of Fakhrizadeh "a criminal act." The US Army JAG Corps has explicitly taken the position that such a killing is legal during international armed conflict, using as an example the U.S.'s own nuclear weapons program. law.upenn.edu/institutes/cer… 2/ Per the JAG Corps' memorandum: "More than 90% of the World War II Project Manhattan personnel were civilians, and their participation in the U.S. atomic weapons program was of such importance as to have made them liable to legitimate attack." law.upenn.edu/institutes/cer…
Nov 27, 2020 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Thread: 1/ To those calling illegal Israel's killing of Iran nuclear weapons program chief Fakhrizadeh: US Army JAG Corps has explicitly taken the position that such killing is legal during international armed conflict, using as an example the U.S.'s own nuclear weapons program. 2/ Per the JAG Corps' memorandum: "More than 90% of the World War II Project Manhattan personnel were civilians, and their participation in the U.S. atomic weapons program was of such importance as to have made them liable to legitimate attack."

law.upenn.edu/institutes/cer…
Nov 27, 2020 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
1/ No, the Fakhrizadeh killing is not a violation of international law. The reasoning of the US Military Academy's law department (in the Soleimani case) explains why. Iran & Israel are engaged in an international armed conflict.

lawfareblog.com/was-soleimani-… 2/ Fakhrizadeh, an IRGC official, was developing a weapon designed to enable Iran to achieve its genocidal vow to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. Israel has the right to defend itself, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Oct 2, 2020 • 7 tweets • 4 min read
Thread: 1/ Hezbollah just proved accurate #Netanyhu UN speech revealing 3 missile factories next to or under civilian homes. After speech, in effort to debunk, #Hezbollah gave tour of site. Tour video shows IT IS A MISSILE FACTORY, w/ missile production machines clearly visible. 2/ My article explains that #Hezbollah by placing missile factories next to or under civilian homes (apartment buildings here) is clearly using those civilians as human shields, which is a war crime under international law, prohibited by Geneva Convention. fdd.org/analysis/2020/…
Sep 29, 2020 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Thread: 1/Why are #Azerbaijan & #Armenia fighting? When USSR broke up chaos was avoided by its successor states accepting previous boundaries despite numerous enclaves. Exception: Armenia seized part of Azerbaijan, in move rejected by UN & US. More: fdd.org/analysis/2020/… 2/"According to Serzh Sarkisian, who commanded the Armenian forces during the war and later became the country’s president, Armenia employed a deliberate policy of mass killing to cause the civilian Azerbaijani population to flee" Nagorno-Karabakh. 700,000 became refugees.
Sep 26, 2020 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
Thread: 1/
@AOC needs a history lesson. #Rabin's funeral was attended by Pres. Mubarak of Egypt & King Hussein of Jordan, which lost the '67 war to Israel led by Rabin. Hussein gave a eulogy: "You lived as a soldier, and you died as a soldier of peace." baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-19… 2/ @AOC: At Rabin's funeral King Hussein said, "As long as I live I will be proud to have known him, to have worked with him as a brother, a friend." Hussein was King of Jordan in '67 when it lost to IDF led by Rabin, and made peace with Israel only the year before Rabin's death.
Sep 24, 2020 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
Thread: Citing GOP sources, Atlantic's Barton Gellman reports Trump campaign is "discussing contingency plans to bypass election results and appoint loyal electors in battleground states where Republicans hold the legislative majority."(AZ,FL,MI,NC,PA,WI) theatlantic.com/magazine/archi… 2/Gellman writes: "We are accustomed to choosing electors by popular vote, but nothing in the Constitution says it has to be that way. Article II provides that each state shall appoint electors “in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct.”"
Sep 16, 2020 • 17 tweets • 3 min read
1/The following thread contains my analysis of text of "Treaty of Peace, Diplomatic Relations and Full Normalization Between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel," based on my 10 years negotiating int'l agreements as a US State Dept attorney whitehouse.gov/wp-content/upl… 2/Despite what some have said, this is a treaty, not a mere statement of intent. The key provision states: "Peace, diplomatic relations and full normalization of bilateral ties are hereby established between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel." No ifs ands or buts.
Sep 15, 2020 • 9 tweets • 6 min read
The following tweet thread includes some of my thoughts on today's signing of the #AbrahamAccords. The #AbrahamAccords deserve the title "peace agreement." Arab League members #Bahrain & #UAE, founded in 1971, weren't around to join in the Arab League's military attempt to destroy Israel in 1948. However, they long joined in AL efforts to strangle Israel economically.
Sep 5, 2020 • 21 tweets • 5 min read
Today @oonahathaway and
I discussed the recent U.S. sanctions against ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and her top aide on
@bbcworldservice
(you can listen at the link below, starting at 45:00). The following thread includes key points I tried to make. bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w1… 1/ The U.S. sanctions are wrong and counterproductive. Congress, in giving the President broad authority to impose sanctions, did not have in mind such sanctions against international civil servants.