Title: Using the Rule of Law to Combat the#Islamic State#
Author: Lieutenant Colonel (P) Stephen E. Schemenauer
Place of publication: US
Publisher: United States Army War College

As the most lethal and well-funded terrorist group in the world, the Islamic State represents an unprecedented threat to international peace and security. However, the international community’s current efforts to combat the group are largely disjointed,ineffective, counter-productive, and costly. They also emphasize the role of force over the rule of law, drawing international criticism and fueling the flames of Islamic jihad.This has led many in the international community to call for a more comprehensive strategy that includes prosecutorial efforts as an integral part of the solution.Unfortunately, the international criminal justice system suffers from an institutional gap that allows the Islamic State’s members to operate with seeming impunity. This paper recommends that the United Nations Security Council establish an Office of the Chief International Prosecutor for the Islamic State (UNOCIPIS) to fill that gap and provide the international community with a better legal tool to combat the Islamic State’s worldwide criminal network.[1]