Mapping war, peace and terrorism in the global information environment

This article outlines in general terms how the environment of 21st century transnational organised crime, terrorism and unconventional conflict is being shaped by information-related capabilities (IRCs) that foster global networked connectivity and asymmetric responses to conventional military supremacy. This article explores how the conceptual apparatus regarding the distinction between wartime and peacetime, as well as war zones and peace zones, which has been developed within the framework of international criminal law and humanitarian law, can contribute to military-strategic operational and capability concepts. Integration of these conceptual frameworks within strategic analysis can serve to promote the effective use of force within a full spectrum operational environment in which information, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance thresholds are being raised and where deeper understandings of the social dynamic that sustains ongoing fighting within a global information environment become increasingly feasible. In this context, this article suggests that law enforcement frameworks and approaches have a high threshold of applicability if the strategic failures associated with conventional military operations are to be avoided

The creation and protection of history through the prism of international criminal justice in Al Mahdi

This article examines the role that international criminal justice plays, firstly in creating history, and secondly in protecting history. With regards to the former function, history, in terms of historical truths and narratives are frequent casualties of war and so the first major thread of this discussion outlines the historiography of international criminal law through the prism of the illustrative case of Al Mahdi before the International Criminal Court. In other words this paper aims to set out an overview of the methods, processes and policies by which international criminal justice develops historico-legal narratives that attempt to get at the truth and protect the past from false or distorted narratives. With regards to the latter function, history, in terms of cultural heritage may often be destroyed in order to destroy the identity and even the existence of a people. Accordingly, the second major thread of this discussion is that when it comes to memorialising the significance of cultural property and the impact of its destruction for the benefit of our collective memory as a basis for punishing criminal acts of destroying cultural property, deterring future criminal acts, and providing victims with reparations, Al Mahdi represents a careful balance between legal pragmatism and legal principle, and furthermore that international criminal justice is an important stakeholder in the reparations and restorations process

Extrapolation of criminal law modes of liability to target analysis under international humanitarian law: Developing the framework for understanding direct participation in hostilities and membership in organized armed groups in non-international armed conflict

Direct participation in hostilities and membership in an organized armed group are contested and controversial concepts. Recent developments in military and legal doctrine suggest that a more practicable account may supplement the valuable work of the ICRC in its Interpretive Guidance on Direct Participation in Hostilities in order to guide target analysis in the unconventional and civilianized operational environment of contemporary non-international conflicts. The purpose of this article is to extrapolate criminal law models of accessorial liability and co-perpetration in order to elucidate the concepts of direct participation in hostilities and membership in an organized armed group. What is proposed is an intelligence-led framework for target analysis that is grounded in military doctrine and based on a mixture of objective and subjective criteria derived from criminal law. This can foster a better understanding of the social dynamic that sustains on-going fighting which limits the scope for arbitrary and erroneous targeting decisions in doubtful situations

NOVO REGISTRO DE FABACEAE (CAESALPINIOIDEAE) PARA O BRASIL: Dimorphandra davisii SPRAGUE & SANDWITH

The study presents the first occurrence of Dimorphandra davisii Sprague & Sandwith from Brazil, a species previously known only in Guyana and Venezuela. After examining the INPA and NY herbarium collections, it was verified that the species was collected in 1986 and occurs in the municipality of Presidente Figueiredo, in the state of Amazonas, but never registered for the Brazilian flora. The record of the species increases the floristic data of the Brazilian Amazon and contributes to the better knowledge of Dimorphandra in Brazil.Keywords: Caesalpinieae; Distribution of species; Amazon Rainforest; Taxonomy.O estudo apresenta a primeira ocorrência de Dimorphandra davisii Sprague et Sandwith do Brasil, uma espécie conhecida apenas na Guiana e Venezuela. Depois de examinar as coleções dos herbários INPA e NY, verificou-se que a espécie foi coletada em 1986 e ocorre no município de Presidente Figueiredo, no estado do Amazonas, mas nunca registrada para a flora brasileira. O registro da espécie aumenta os dados florísticos da Amazônia brasileira e contribui para o melhor conhecimento de Dimorphandra no Brasil.Palavras-chave: Caesalpinieae, Distribuição de espécies, Floresta Amazônica, Taxonomia

Are we close to knowing the plant diversity of the Amazon?

Amazonia is often cited as having the most diverse flora on the planet. However, the total number of species of higher plants in the region has been largely a matter of guesswork. Some recent publications have estimated the total number of species present, which indicate a lower overall diversity than was estimated in the past. However, analysis of the sampling density across the region, and data from various sources suggest that there may be reason why the recent figures may be considerable underestimates. I believe that much more investment in extensive collecting of quality plant specimens is needed to encounter the very large number of rare and local species that might never have been collected. Unfortunately the tendencies of investment in botany, in terms of geography and types of project, suggest that we will probably not be able to accurately assess the real diversity of the region

The [O II] lambda 3727 Luminosity Function at z ~ 1

We measure the evolution of the [OII]lambda 3727 luminosity function at 0.75<z<1.45 using high-resolution spectroscopy of ~14,000 galaxies observed by the DEEP2 galaxy redshift survey. We find that brighter than L_{OII}=10^{42} erg s^(-1) the luminosity function is well-represented by a power law dN/dL ~ L^{\alpha} with slope \alpha ~ -3. The number density of [OII] emitting galaxies above this luminosity declines by a factor of >~2.5 between z ~ 1.35 and z ~ 0.84. In the limit of no number-density evolution, the characteristic [OII] luminosity, L^*_[OII], defined as the luminosity where the space density equals 10^{-3.5} dex^{-1} Mpc^{-3}, declines by a factor of ~1.8 over the same redshift interval. Assuming that L_[OII] is proportional to the star-formation rate (SFR), and negligible change in the typical dust attenuation in galaxies at fixed [OII] luminosity, the measured decline in L^*_[OII] implies a ~25% per Gyr decrease in the amount of star formation in galaxies during this epoch. Adopting a faint-end power-law slope of -1.3\pm0.2, we derive the comoving SFR density in four redshift bins centered around z~1 by integrating the observed [OII] luminosity function using a local, empirical calibration between L_[OII] and SFR, which statistically accounts for variations in dust attenuation and metallicity among galaxies. We find that our estimate of the SFR density at z~1 is consistent with previous measurements based on a variety of independent SFR indicators.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, resubmitted to ApJ, in emulateapj style. Comparison with narrow-band observations added. Wavelength coverage included into complete function, little effects. The data is available on http://bias.cosmo.fas.nyu.edu/galevolution