Arlan Cohen revisits his recent report on the Islamic State, “Scared to Fight,” with Cornell Law Professor Jens David Ohlin. In part one of the interview, they discuss the legal and policy justifications governing the US response in Iraq and Syria. Jens David Ohlin is a professor at Cornell Law School who specializes in international and criminal law. He has published a number of books on the laws of war, targeted killings, and the role of non-state actors in armed conflicts. His newest book, The Assault on International Law, is due out this January through Oxford University Press. The Journal of Law and Public Policy’s blog unit reached out to Professor Ohlin to get his thoughts on the Islamic State (IS) and recent events in the Middle East. The following interview is published in two parts. PART ONE Matt Olson of the National Counterterrorism Center stated in a speech recently that we do not have any credible information that the Islamic State is planning to attack the U.S. President Obama has also said that we have not yet detected specific plotting against our homeland. Assuming the circumstances have not changed and IS still does not pose a direct threat to
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