About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

19 Case W. Res. J. Int'l L. 295 (1987)
The Reagan Administration versus International Law

handle is hein.journals/cwrint19 and id is 301 raw text is: The Reagan Administration Versus International Law* by Burns H. Weston** Recenfly I was asked in a news interview whether I was surprised by the widening scandal concerning arms sales to Iran and the diversion of funds to the Contras in Nicaragua. My answer was yes insofar as it revealed an administration out of control beyond at least my expectation, but no insofar as it reflected a pattern of unprecedented lawlessness and unilateralism in the conduct of American foreign policy, painfully present ever since President Reagan first came to the White House in 1980 (and the primary reason for the formation of the Independent Com- mission on Respect for International Law that presently I chair and, by the way, from whose collective mind I borrow liberally this afternoon).' To be sure, Ronald Reagan is neither the first President nor the only world leader to evince disdain for international law and cooperation. Nor would the election of a Democrat in 1988 guarantee a reverse com- mitment. American foreign policy has been disrespectful of international law and cooperation irrespective of party politics in other periods of our history as well. Witness the Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961, the Dominican Republic intervention of 1965, and of course Vietnam. But the Reagan presidency has been particularly contemptuous in this regard, especially in relation to the use of armed force and the dis- paragement of international governmental institutions (save, of course, where the self-defined special interests of the United States have been * @ Bums H. Weston 1987. Address delivered to the Cleveland City Club Forum, March 20, 1987. ** Bessie Dutton Murray Professor of Law, The University of Iowa; Chair, the Independent Commission on Respect for International Law (Washington, D.C.); J.S.D., Yale Law School, 1970; LL.B., Yale Law School, 1961; A.B. Oberlin College, 1956. 1 Current members of the Independent Commission in addition to myself include: Richard J. Barnet (Institute for Policy Studies); Richard B. Bilder (University of Wisconsin School of Law); Roger S. Clark (Rutgers-Camden Law School); Anthony D'Amato (Northwestern University School of Law); Robert F. Drinan, S.J. (Georgetown University Law Center); Richard A. Falk (Princeton University); Tom J. Farer (University of New Mexico School of Law); Thomas M. Franck (New York University School of Law); Michael J. Glennon (University of California at Davis School of Law); Frederic L. Kirgis, Jr. (Washington and Lee University School of Law); Richard B. Lillich (University of Virginia School of Law); Jules L. Lobel (University of Pittsburgh School of Law); Ved P. Nanda (University of Denver College of Law); and Jordan J. Paust (Univer- sity of Houston Law Center).

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most