Models of War and Crime in Confronting Organized Violence

Is it crime or is it war? American politicos immediately beat the drums of a war on terrorism after 9/11 despite some cautionary notes sounded by professionals in the military, law, and international affairs. But the only other option promoted in the popular debates has been that of domestic criminal law enforcement. For some reason, the most obvious model, that of criminal sanctions under the law of nations combined with military operations other than war (MOOTW), has not received much attention despite its long-standing utility with regard to piracy and slavery.