ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book concerns the lawfulness of the use of force against Afghanistan; it is also concerned with the broader picture which encompasses inter-connected issues regarding terrorism, war and international law. Reference is made to the use of force against Iraq in 2003 and Lebanon in 2006 as further examples of the way in which militarily powerful states are able to impose their will and their interpretations of international law on less powerful states, thereby weakening the effectiveness of legal limitations on the recourse to force. As Robert Ago has noted, international law is not a new phenomenon; any scholar who seeks to understand current relations between states without appreciating the historical nexus is bound to be misled.
