Today’s Headlines and Commentary

A U.N. report accuses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of committing or enabling numerous war crimes in Yemen, according to the New York Times. The report also noted that numerous crimes have been committed by the Houthis, the opposition group in the Yemeni Civil War, but that most casualties have come from the Saudi-led airstrikes. The U.S. provides technical support and weaponry for the Saudi operations.

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis warned Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that U.S. military and intelligence support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen is “not unconditional” and that the coalition needs to do “everything humanly possible” to avoid civilian casualties, reports CNN.

The Iranian Parliament summoned President Hassan Rouhani for a rebuke, rejecting his plans for mitigating Iran’s worsening economic crisis, reportsthe Washington Post. The vote was yet another sign of Rouhani’s weakness in the face of economic hardship and President Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the nuclear deal, Rouhani’s signature accomplishment.

White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow has broached the possibility that Trump will take a closer look at regulating internet companies, Politico writes. Kudlow’s statement that Trump is considering regulations for Google comes after the president tweeted this morning, without evidence, that Google’s search results are biased and unfair to him.

Politico also reports that Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has ordered a brief delay in Paul Manafort’s next trial, moving the start of arguments from September 17 to September 24. The delay was urged by defense attorneys, who said they needed more time to prepare.

Public health may be a casualty of the U.S.-China trade war, the Times suggests. Despite treaty requirements, China has refused to share samples of a new and rapidly-evolving flu virus, limiting the U.S.’s ability to study and prepare for the virus. While the lack of compliance predates the trade war, scientists are concerned that potential tariffs on pharmaceutical and medical products could make it even less likely that China will share.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Amichai Cohen and Yuval Shany provided thoughts on the Israeli Military Advocate General’s report on closing investigations into events that occurred during IDF fighting with Gaza in 2014.

Scott Anderson and Megan Reiss presented part three of the results of a survey on Law and Public Intuition on the Use of Force.

Cameron Kerry called for the Senate to confirm the nominees to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, in order to reinstate a quorum and allow the board to operate again.

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