The Colombia Cross-border Raid, the Turkish Incursion in Northern Iraq and the Legality of Cross-Border Military Operations to Hunt Down Rebels
(by T. Christakis)
For the second time in a few days a State undertook an important cross-border military operation in order to attack rebels hiding on the other side of the frontier. After the February incursion of Turkish troops into northern Iraq to target PKK militants, Colombia undertook last Saturday (March 1, 2008) a cross-border raid inside Ecuador, which killed FARC’s number two commander Raul Reyes. You can find hereafter some declarations and reactions concerning these two cases which can be interesting for International Lawyers and which could give some useful information concerning State practice and opinio juris in matters like self-defence, “hot pursuit” and the principle of respect of the territorial integrity of States.
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