Armed Conflict
Law of Armed Conflict/IHL
1,639 Articles
The Illegality of Targeting Civilians by Way of Belligerent Reprisal: Implications for U.S. Nuclear Doctrine
It is time for the United States to acknowledge that customary international law today prohibits targeting civilians in reprisal for an adversary’s violations of the law of war.
Ukraine’s Pandemic-Era Obligations to Civilians in Crimea and Donbas Under Humanitarian Law
Russia is not the sole State with such responsibilities. As the displaced sovereign, Ukraine retains certain residual obligations towards its citizens.
Trump’s Secret Rules for Drone Strikes and Presidents’ Unchecked License to Kill
FOIA lawsuit obtains Trump administration's playbook. Hina Shamsi writes about the broader lessons for secret presidential powers.
At 100 Days, Grading Biden’s Progress Toward a More Responsible US Arms Trade Policy
As we near the 100-day mark of this administration, and with the president delivering a “State of the Union”-like address this evening, now is a good moment to assess its arms…
Recognizing the Armenian Genocide Marks a Historic Turning Point in American Foreign Policy
In a significant break with his predecessors, President Joe Biden formally recognized the Armenian Genocide on April 24, the annual day of remembrance for the massacres.
A Drop in the Ocean: A Preliminary Assessment of the Koblenz Trial on Syrian Torture
April 23 marks one year since the start of the Syrian torture trial in Koblenz, Germany. It has already offered some preliminary lessons for future “universal jurisdiction”…
Team of Legal Gladiators? Iraqi Militias’ Tortured Relationship with Law
The country's Iran-backed militias are not law-abiding, but they know Iraqis care about rule of law and have adopted the law as a battlespace.
National Security Last Week at the United Nations (April 2-9)
United States Lifts Sanctions Against ICC Officials On April 2, President Joe Biden reversed one of former President Donald Trump’s executive orders, which imposed sanctions…
Renouncing Reprisals: An Opportunity for the Biden Administration
The United States claims the legal right to attack civilians and objects indispensable to their survival in certain situations. Biden can reverse that, and an opportunity to do…
Opportunity Missed: New Zealand Defense Force’s Order on Civilian Harm in Wartime
On Feb. 11, 2021, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) announced new rules on responding to civilian harm. Defence Force Order 35 (DFO 35) introduces NZDF-wide procedures for responding…
On Functional Immunity of Foreign Officials and Crimes under International Law
Landmark judgment by Germany’s top criminal court on foreign officials' lack of immunity in war crimes trials. Analysis by renowned scholar, Professor Claus Kress.
UN Human Rights Council Outlines Sri Lanka Abuses, But Demurs on Action
It’s not the robust independent mechanism victims campaigned for, or the referral to the ICC that they deserve, but it is a potential path to justice.