WILLY STERN: Attorneys at War: Inside an elite Israeli military law unit. Very interesting, and it’s troubling to see that the Israelis, too, seem to have over-lawyered their warmaking.

Though I bow to no one in my love for law and lawyers, I don’t believe that either should have as prominent a role in Western warmaking as they do, especially when warring against enemies who do not follow the laws of war. Personally, I believe that observance of such customs should be entirely based on reciprocity, and that those who do not reciprocate should be treated as pirates of old. Such an approach would not flatter the self-image of Western elites, but it would be far more effective.