Policy Address: “Legal Framework for the United States’ Use of Military Force Since 9/11”

Policy Address: “Legal Framework for the United States’ Use of Military Force Since 9/11”

April 10, 2015

U.S. Department of Defense General Counsel Stephen Preston examines the authorities for the United States’ use of military force from 2001 to the present. His remarks are the latest in a series of speeches by senior Obama Administration officials - dating back to the ASIL Annual Meeting in 2010 - explaining the legal framework for using military force as it has developed since the 9/11 attacks. After reviewing the general framework, Mr. Preston focuses on the legal bases for ongoing U.S. military operations in Afghanistan post-2014 and against ISIL in Iraq and Syria.