The Obama administration appears to be moving closer to military action against Syria in response to what it believes was a chemical attack carried out against the Syrian people by the Syrian government. But Ian Hurd, a professor of international politics at Northwestern University and an expert on international law, writing in an Op-Ed in the ‘New York Times,’ says “As a legal matter, the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons does not automatically justify armed intervention by the United States.” Hurd argues that there may be “moral reasons” for disregarding the law but the U.S. government “should not pretend that there is a legal justification in existing law.” Professor Hurd explains why international law doesn’t necessarily apply to military action in Syria in this instance. (Photo: AP Images).