Armed Conflict • International Law
Law of Armed Conflict/IHL
1,759 Articles

The International Law Obligation to Investigate the Boat Strikes
Operation Southern Spear’s lethal boat strikes are unlawful under IHRL and, even on the administration’s own terms, trigger binding LOAC and DoD duties to investigate.

The Law on Targeting Shipwrecked Drug Traffickers: Expert Backgrounder
Detailing how, under different scenarios, international law and U.S. past practices apply to Sept. 2 boat strike on survivors.

Why a Ukraine-Russia Amnesty Would Violate Geneva Convention Obligations
An amnesty in any future peace plan would be unlawful and a moral abdication of the pursuit of accountability for victims in Russia's war in Ukraine.

History and International Law Proscribe Amnesties for Russian War Crimes
Compromising on prosecutions for Russian atrocities would erode the system of international justice built since Nuremberg and undermine the rule of law itself.

Operation Southern Spear: Why the Crews, Drugs, and Boats are Not Targetable
A deep dive on the international law applicable to the U.S. military's lethal operations against suspected drug boats

The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part IV
Co-hosted with RCLS, a panel of experts discuss the Trump administration's continued campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers.

Killing Shipwrecked Survivors is Not Just Illegal—It Endangers U.S. Servicemembers
If the United States chooses a path where killing defenseless survivors becomes acceptable, American servicemembers will pay the price for that choice.

From Secret Law (2001-2024) to None at All (2025-present)
The Trump administration's lethal strikes are the apotheosis of the last quarter century's often always secret and often unreviewable executive branch legal reasoning.

Hypothetical Legal Review of Narcotrafficking Strikes
A mock “operational legal review” depicting what a staff judge advocate’s advice should have been prior to the first reported strike on an alleged drug trafficking vessel.

The International Law Obligation of States to Stop Intelligence Support for U.S. Boat Strikes
The only way States can avoid complicity in “arbitrary killings” under international human rights law is to refrain from sharing intelligence that, in part, enables them.

A Point of Clarification Re the International Lawyers’ Statement on Gaza
Israeli international law scholars write about their prior letter published by Just Security and a recent article published at Just Security as well.

International Lawyers Unite in Joint Statement on Gaza
An eight-point statement signed by 270 international law scholars demonstrates a convergence of views on Gaza and international law.