Armed Conflict • International Law
Law of Armed Conflict/IHL
1,740 Articles
DOD’s New Ex Gratia Policy: What’s Right, What’s Wrong, and What’s Next
On June 22, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued an interim policy regulation for providing ex gratia payments to civilians harmed as a result of U.S. military operations. It…
Toward a Consistent and Coherent Ex Gratia Policy for Civilian Casualties
The summer of 2017 was an extended nightmare for the Badrans. Over the course of several weeks, 39 members of Rasha Badran’s family, most of them women and children, were killed…
National Security at the United Nations This Week (July 3-10)
(Editor’s Note: This is the latest in Just Security’s weekly series keeping readers up to date on developments at the United Nations at the intersection of national security,…
It’s Time to Stop the Use of Tear Gas Against Civilians
It was a clear day on June 1 in Washington, DC when thousands of people protesting racial injustice and police brutality, in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, congregated…
Trump’s Rationale for Attacking the ICC—Continuity with Bush and Obama’s War on Terrorism
An article by the first Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
As UN Renews Peacekeeping in Mali, Civilian Protection Requires Ongoing Push for Air Assets
The mission is missing critical military helicopters it needs in several locations to carry out its recently expanded mandate.
The United Nations Charter at 75: Between Force and Self-Defense — Part Two
A more complete view of the UN Charter explains why there are no unwritten exceptions to the prohibition of force.
New Developments in ICRC Commentaries to the POW Convention
On Tuesday, June 16 the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) launched its updated Commentary to the Geneva Convention III Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War…
The Self-Defeating Executive Order Against the International Criminal Court
"I know because I used to make this theoretical international law argument...on behalf of the U.S. Government many years ago."
Ali Kushayb’s Arrest Highlights the Other Side of the U.S.–ICC Relationship
There has been a lot happening over the past couple of weeks, at home and abroad. So it would have been easy to miss the news that earlier this week, Ali Kushayb, a Sudanese war…
On Iranian Gunboats: Beware Conflating American and Mainstream Views of the Law
In a recent essay in Just Security entitled “Iranian Gunboat Harassment and the Rules of Engagement,” Michael Schmitt and Durward Johnson explore important questions raised…
Jurisdiction at Guantanamo: The Case of Long-Term Complicity
The commission should stop asking whether the acts of facilitation occurred during an armed conflict. Rather, the commission should be asking whether the defendants facilitated…