Politics in the Rearview Mirror

The Killing of Hassan Nasrallah and the West’s Changing Approach to Assassinations

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Following the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah by Israel two weeks ago, this episode discusses with Dr. Emil Archambault how the use and justification of assassinations by Western states and their allies has changed over time, what the reasons for this changing norm are, what their goal is, and whether they achieve it.


Dr. Emil Archambault's website: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/emil-d-archambault/


References and additional sources:

  • Archambault et al. (2024). The Killing of Hassan Nasrallah and how the West Legitimized its use of Assassinations. The Conversation, 3.10.2024. https://theconversation.com/the-killing-of-hassan-nasrallah-and-how-the-west-legitimised-its-use-of-assassination-240247 [Last accessed: 11.10.2024].
  • President Biden's statement on the killing of Hassan Nasrallah https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/09/28/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-the-death-of-hassan-nasrallah/ [Last accessed: 11.10.2024].
  • President Obama's Speech at the National Defense University 2013 https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/23/remarks-president-national-defense-university [Last accessed: 11.10.2024]
  • Trenta, Luca (2024). The President's Kill List: Assassination and Foreign Policy since 1945. Edinburgh University Press. https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-the-president-s-kill-list.html.
  • Rigterink, Anouk (2021). The Wane of Command: Evidence of Drone Strikes and Control within Terrorist Organizations. American Political Science Review 115(1), 31-50. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055420000908
  • Bergman, Ronon (2019). Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations. Penguin Random House. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/209254/rise-and-kill-first-by-ronen-bergman/


    • Music: The Good News by SHANTI from https://tunetank.com/track/263-the-good-news/

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    Politics in the Rearview MirrorBy School of Government and International Affairs (SGIA), Durham University