ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the development of legal limitations on the use of force. It focuses on the developments that occurred from the negotiations phase that ultimately resulted in the signing of the UN Charter until the present. The chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the law which existed at the time that force was used against Afghanistan in October 2001. The Security Council unanimously condemned the military action launched by Israel in violation of the United Nations Charter and the cease-fire resolutions. The chapter discusses an era of remarkable achievement in limiting the resort to force, yet, especially towards the latter years of the post-World War II era, some states have demonstrated a reluctance to be constrained by the limits of international law. It examines the evolution of international law regarding the use of force by non-state actors who are engaged in acts of international terrorism.
