Law of Armed Conflict/IHL

Heavy smoke billows following an airstrike on the western frontline of Raqa on July 17, 2017, during an offensive by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a majority Kurdish and Arab alliance, to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters.

Civilian Casualties: A Case for U.S. Condolence Payments in Syria

The U.S. military acknowledges it unintentionally killed 40 civilians in a 2017 air strike, but rejects appeals to help those who survived.

Jan. 6, 2020 Andrea Prasow

Side by side photos of a Congressional document labeled, “H.J. Res. 542” and the remnants of the U.S. airstrike still on fire that killed Soleimani and al-Muhandis on Jan. 3, 2020 outside the Baghdad International Airport.

The Soleimani Strike and War Powers

Key Legal Questions, With Preview of a New Research Database

Jan. 6, 2020 Tess Bridgeman

Side by side photos of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and remnants of the U.S. airstrike still on fire that killed Soleimani and al-Muhandis on Jan. 3, 2020 outside the Baghdad International Airport.

United States Killed Iraqi Military Official and Iraqi Military Personnel in the Two Recent Attacks

"If these dimensions of the unfolding events are not properly understood by U.S. decision makers and the media, the currently highly volatile situation—between the United States,…

Jan. 5, 2020 Crispin Smith

President Trump, Vice President Pence, and National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster have lunch with Service Members on July 18, 2017.

The Generals Aren’t the Problem; An Ill-Informed Commander-in-Chief Is

Peter Bergen's new book shows how Trump sows divisions in the armed forces and undercuts the military ethos for inclusive decision-making.

Jan. 2, 2020 David Lapan

US President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands in the Oval Office of the White House March 25, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Why the Settlements are a Problem for Benjamin Netanyahu

Despite the new U.S. position that West Bank settlements are not "per se" illegal, international accountability for Israeli settlement activity remains a real possibility.

Dec. 19, 2019 Victor Kattan

The damaged interior of the hospital in which the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) medical charity operated is seen on October 13, 2015 following an air strike in the northern city of Kunduz.

Congress Expands Oversight of U.S. Payments for Civilian Deaths

The payments are among the only ways the U.S. military acknowledges and responds to civilian deaths or injuries in its operations, and previous reporting exposed significant gaps…

Dec. 18, 2019 Joanna Naples-Mitchell

A soldier sits in an U.S. Army helicopter as it flies outside of Camp Shorab on a flight to Camp Post on September 11, 2017 at Camp Shorab in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Hidden Gems: Civilian Casualties and Use of Force Reporting Provisions in the Annual Defense Bill

For all the ways that the NDAA falls short on various human rights issues, there are some bright spots that should not be overlooked.

Dec. 17, 2019 Daniel R. Mahanty and Benjamin Haas

The Application of International Law to Cyberspace: Sovereignty and Non-intervention

A new Chatham House Report discusses how key international law principles apply to States’ cyber operations below the threshold of use of force and makes recommendations to governments…

Dec. 13, 2019 Harriet Moynihan

Liberia's President-elect and former football star George Weah attends his swearing-in ceremony on January 22, 2018 in Monrovia.

Next Steps in Liberia’s Long Quest for Justice, 10 Years After Commission Report

A full decade after Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended establishment of a war crimes court to seek justice for atrocities during the country's 14 years of…

Dec. 3, 2019 David Cornell and Ela Matthews

U.S. Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer (L) talks to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson (R) prior to a hearing before Senate Armed Services Committee September 19, 2017 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

The Spencer Standoff with Trump over Gallagher Distracts from the Navy’s Real Problems

Focusing on Trump’s many faults in the Gallagher case obscures something even more troubling: the Navy has serious problems right now and its former leader, recently fired Secretary…

Dec. 2, 2019 Colonel (ret.) Bob Wilson

Germany's deputy permanent representative to the UN Jürgen Schulz, France's permanent representative to the UN, Nicolas de Rivière, Britain's permanent representative to the UN, Karen Pierce, Poland's permanent representative to the UN, Joanna Wronecka, and Belgium's permanent representative to the UN, Marc Pecsteen speak to the press at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on November 20, 2019 about the security situation in Israel prior to a Security Council meeting on the "situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question."

National Security at the United Nations This Week

Security Council members condemn US policy shift on Israeli settlements, a Russia-sponsored cyber agreement that could pave the way for more Internet censorship moves forward,…

Nov. 22, 2019 Sahrula Kubie

An aerial view of the Israeli settlement of Efrat near the Palestinian city of Bethlehem south of Jerusalem, in the occupied West Bank on November 19, 2019.

Assessing the New U.S. “View” on the Legality of Israeli Settlements in the West Bank

In his remarks to the press yesterday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the following with respect to the settlement of Israeli civilians in the West Bank. I’ve highlighted…

Nov. 19, 2019 Marty Lederman