Russian aircraft have started attacking targets in Syria.• Quotes: “There are many complications for the U.S. that could arise out of this, especially where Russian forces are acting not just against ISIS, but also rebel forces trying to unseat Assad,” says Duke University law professor Charles Dunlap Jr., a former deputy judge advocate general of the U.S. Air Force. “For safety of flight reasons the U.S. and Russia need, at a minimum, some process for avoiding airspace conflicts, but any seeming ‘cooperation’ with Russia, however nominal, is politically problematic for the U.S. and its coalition partners.” • “The U.S. air campaign has been rather anemic thus far, much because of reportedly strict rules of engagement that exceed what the law of armed conflict might require. I doubt the Russians will be constrained in the same way, though I don’t expect them to be indifferent to international law or engage, for example, in the barrel bombing tactics the Assad military is alleged to have conducted against civilians.”“Militarily, it is quite possible that the Russians could enjoy more success in taking out ISIS targets than the U.S. has thus far.”• Bio: Charlie Dunlap Jr., a professor of the practice at Duke Law School and executive director of Duke's Center on Law, Ethics and National Security, specializes in warfare policy and strategy, cyber-warfare, military commissions, counterinsurgency, nuclear issues and air power; former deputy judge advocate general of the U.S. Air Force; retired from military in June 2010 as a major general.http://www.law.duke.edu/fac/dunlap• Archive video interview (different subject): http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/13737677/• For additional comment, contact Dunlap at:dunlap@law.duke.edu
