The Legality of the Defensive Measures Taken by the USA and the UK in Response to the Houthi Attacks
Keywords:
defensive measures, Houthi attacks, jus ad bellum, self-defence, article 51 of the UN Charter, proportionality, sovereignty, naval and merchant vessels
Abstract
The article delves into the legality of defensive actions taken by the USA and the UK in response to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. Despite assertions that such actions are justified under the right to self-defence, legal ambiguities persist in international law. The authors argue that while attacks on merchant vessels by non-state actors may constitute armed aggression, clarity is lacking on whether they meet the criteria for self-defence. The USA and UK stress that attacks on their warships validate their defensive measures, framing them as necessary responses to significant threats. However, the authors contend that the principle of proportionality may have been disregarded, urging restraint in the use of force to safeguard ships while respecting Yemen’s sovereignty. The article underscores the need for a nuanced approach to assessing the legality and necessity of military actions in complex conflict scenarios.
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Brownlie, I. (1963) The use of force by States (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Burra, S. (2020) Use of Force as Self Defence against Non-State Actors and TWAIL Considerations: A Critical Analysis of India’s State Practice, Asian Yearbook of International Law, 24(1), p. 106-127.
Couzigou, I. (2017) The fight against the “Islamic State” in Syria, Geopolitics, History, and International Relations, 9(2), p. 80-106.
De Wet, E. (2019) The Invocation of the Right to Self-Defence in Response to Armed Attacks Conducted by Armed Groups: Implications for Attribution, Leiden Journal of International Law, 32(1), p. 91–110.
Dinstein, Y. (2011) War, aggression and self-defence, 5th edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Gazzini, T. (2006) The changing rules on the use of force in international law States (Manchester: Manchester University Press).
Gray, C. (1991) The British position with regard to the Gulf conflict (Iran–Iraq): Part 2, The International and Comparative Law Quarterly, 40(2), p. 464-473.
Gray, C. (2008) International law and the use of force, 3rd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Green, James A. (2009) The International Court of Justice and Self-Defence in International Law (Oxford: Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd).
Henderson, C. (2014) Non-State Actors and the Use of Force. In: Non-State Actors in International Law, edited by Math Noortmann, August Reinisch, and Cedric Ryngaert (Oxford: Hart Publishing).
Henderson, C. (2024) A reply to Brassat: The Military Strikes Against the Houthis in Yemen and the ‘Fourth Problem’ of Necessity and Proportionality, EJIL:Talk!, https://www.ejiltalk.org/a-reply-to-brassat-the-military-strikes-against-the-houthis-in-yemen-and-the-fourth-problem-of-necessity-and-proportionality/.
Liebermann, O. (2024) US Navy shoots down barrage of Houthi missiles and drones launched from Yemen over Red Sea, US Central Command says, CNN, https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/09/politics/us-navy-houthi-missiles-drones-red-sea/index.html.
Mason, R., Walker, P. and Quinn, B. (2024) Rishi Sunak says UK acted in ‘self-defence’ with Yemen airstrikes, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/12/rishi-sunak-says-uk-acted-in-self-defence-with-yemen-airstrikes.
Murphy, Sean D. (2002) Terrorism and the concept of armed attack in Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, Harvard International Law Journal, 43(1), p. 41-52.
Nolte, G. and Randelzhofer A. (2012) Commentary of Article 51. In: The Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary, edited by Brunno Simma et al., 3rd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Ruys, T. (2010) ‘Armed Attack’ and Article 51 of the UN Charter (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Schmitt, M. (2003) Counter-Terrorism and the Use of Force in International Law, International Law Studies, 79(1), p. 7-73.
Shaw, Malcolm N. (2008) International law, 6th edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Stark, A. (2024) What’s Behind the Surge in Attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, RAND, https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2024/01/whats-behind-the-surge-in-attacks-by-yemens-houthis.html.
Starski, P. (2015) Right to Self-Defense, Attribution and the Non-State Actor – Birth of the “Unable or Unwilling” Standard?, Zeitschrift für ausländisches öfentliches Recht und Völkerrecht, 75(4), p. 455-501.
Tladi, D. (2022) The Extraterritorial Use of Force against Non-State Actors (Leiden: Brill | Nijhoff).
Talmon, S. (2024) Germany Supports Expansive Interpretation of the Right to Self-Defence Against Attacks by the Houthis on Commercial Shipping in the Red Sea, GPIL, https://gpil.jura.uni-bonn.de/2024/01/germany-supports-expansive-interpretation-of-the-right-to-self-defence-against-attacks-by-the-houthis-on-commercial-shipping-in-the-red-sea/.
Tams, Christian J. (2013) The necessity and proportionality of anti-terrorist self-defence. In: Counter-Terrorism Strategies in a Fragmented International Legal Order: Meeting the Challenges, edited by Larissa van den Herik and Nico Schrijver (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Published
2024-06-27
How to Cite
Glavica P., & Brulc L. (2024). The Legality of the Defensive Measures Taken by the USA and the UK in Response to the Houthi Attacks. LeXonomica, 16(1), 67-84. https://doi.org/10.18690/lexonomica.16.1.67-84.2024
Section
Articles