In assessing the legality of the killing of Osama bin Laden one is reminded of a saying about the situation in Lebanon. If you think you understand it, it has not been properly explained to you.

Of course, one major obstacle is that we do not have all the facts. However, we also do not have all the law.

The complexity of analyzing the legality of the killing begins with the threshold issue of applicable law. Is the conduct to be analyzed according to domestic law or international law? If domestic law, then which country’s domestic laws are applicable? Certainly that of the United States and Pakistan would be applicable. Saudi law might also apply (e.g., on the basis of nationality), in addition to the laws of those countries that have another basis under their domestic law for exercising extraterritorial jurisdiction (e.g., on the universality principle).

Hi, Dan. Hi, Gabriela. I also wanted to thank the organizers for facilitating a hybrid format so I could be here with you today. I think in terms of that question, Dan, you and I have both been at negotiations where the plenary starts with all the countries there and a minute of silence for some victims of some typhoon in one of the countries that is there, or victims of a hurricane of a country that is there, and then the minute of silence ends. Then we swiftly move on to the business of negotiating. I think that it is not as much of a motivational factor in the outcomes of the negotiations. I think it does motivate some of the countries that are there, and of course, they are the more vulnerable countries, and they are the ones that have less influence in terms of crafting the outcomes of the negotiations.