Season1/Episode 1: War and Terrorism

The years 2000 started off with the so-called ‘global war on terror’, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The use of armed force against non-state armed groups labelled as ‘terrorists’ has, over the years, become more and more common — despite it continues to pose important legal and ethical questions. In this episode, the co-hosts — Paola Gaeta and Antonio Coco — explore the relationship between terrorism and war in a conversation with Gloria Gaggioli, current Director and alumna of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. They discuss how to identify members of armed groups which are labelled as ‘terrorists’, what rules apply to the fight against them, the practice of so-called ‘targeted killings’, the theory of the ‘global battlefield’, and whether the ‘terrorism’ label adds anything to the legal assessment of the fight. Links ICRC, Guidance on Direct participation in hostilities, 2009; ‘Counter-Terror Project: a Legal Empirical Approach’, directed by the guest of this episode, Professor Gloria Gaggioli; Speech by the United States President, G.W. Bush, announcing the ‘global war on terror’, Address to a Joint Session of Congress, 20 September 2001. Follow and contact us at: https://www.geneva-academy.ch/;   / geneva_academy  . Credits for the production go to: Tatiana Avanthay, Nathalie Mivelaz-Tirabosco and Ana Srovin Coralli.