Table of Contents

1: Introduction
2: Counterinsurgency and International Law
3: Background to FM 3-24
4: Constructing FM 3-24
5: Prosecuting FM 3-24
6: Conclusion

About the Author

Travers McLeod is the Chief Executive Officer at the Centre for Policy Development, an independent Australian policy think tank, an Honorary Fellow of the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne, and an Associate of the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford.

Reviews

"A compelling, thoughtful, superbly written, and exhaustively
researched examination of the interaction of law and the conduct of
counterinsurgency operations-the best contemporary study I have seen on
this topic." - General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Retired), former
commander of coalition forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan and former
Director of the CIA"Through remarkable diligence, Travers
McLeod gained access to unique sources that allow him to provide the
clearest description to date of the intellectual currents and
controversies that shaped FM 3-24 and made it so revolutionary for the
American military. It is a first
class piece of social science analysis and intellectual history." - Dr Conrad Crane, lead author of the 2006 version of FM 3-24"Does
international law influence and constrain militaries as they fight
wars? How? And how would we know? McLeod's Rule of Law in War tackles
these crucial questions through the lens of the US Armyâs Field Manual
on counterinsurgency that guided the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Drawing on an extraordinary array of interviews and archival materials,
McLeod provides a sophisticated and probing analysis of lawâs vital role
in both shaping US military doctrine, and in the way it was implemented
on the ground. Rule of Law in War is
essential reading for anyone interested in the changing nature of war
fighting in the twenty-first century." - Professor Martha Finnemore, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University"Does
international law matter, and if so how? Are its effects marginal, or
does it affect the high politics of international affairs: national
security and the conduct of war? Rule of Law in War is a must read for
everyone interested in these key questions. Through path-breaking and
painstaking primary research, Travers McLeod details the influence of
international law on US counterinsurgency doctrine, showing how through
three pathways it
shaped Field Manual 3-24 and its implementation in Iraq and Afghanistan.
With unprecedented access to the doctrine's key architects, as well as
the full drafting history, McLeod opens a unique window on international
law's impact. A wonderful read, bursting with insight." - Professor Christian Reus-Smit, Professor of International Relations, University of Queensland