The George W. Bush administration declared a 'war on terrorism' after the September 11, 2001 attacks and invoked legal authorities to justify military actions against non-state actors.
September 11, 2001
high
temporal
Foundational U.S. policy precedent for using wartime legal authorities against non-state groups.
The George W. Bush administration after the September 11, 2001 attacks adopted legal reasoning that authorized capturing and detaining combatants and using lethal force to eliminate their leaders.
September 11, 2001
high
legal
Description of U.S. post-9/11 legal framework used to justify use of force against non-state actors.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the George W. Bush administration invoked legal authorities in the 'war on terrorism' to designate certain groups as unlawful combatants.
September 11, 2001
high
contextual
Post-2001 U.S. legal and policy frameworks for the war on terrorism included designation of some actors as unlawful combatants.