Armed Conflict
Law of Armed Conflict/IHL
1,634 Articles
Sticking It To Yourself: Preemptive Pardons for Battlefield Crimes Undercut Military Justice and Military Effectiveness
Chris Jenks served as Special Counsel to the General Counsel of the Department of Defense (2017-2018) where he was awarded the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional…
ICC Prosecutor Signals Important Strategy Shift in New Policy Document
"The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, has released for comment a draft of her Strategic Plan for the final years of her mandate, 2019-2021.…
‘Flying Ginsu’ Missile Won’t Resolve U.S. Targeted Killing Controversy
Proponents of a new, modified Hellfire missile called the R9X tout it as a game-changer that can spare more civilian lives than traditional Hellfires. But the new technology can…
Somalia War Crimes Trial Starts Monday, as Another Survivor Seeks Justice
The third in a trio of federal cases brought by the San Francisco-based Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA) on behalf of victims and survivors of Siad Barre’s rule in…
UN Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict: An Unequivocal Call for Respect for the Law
The United Nations (UN) yesterday released the Secretary-General’s annual report to the Security Council on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. It is an unequivocal…
“No Sideshow” – The ‘Protection of Civilians’ Agenda Turns 20
This year marks two decades since the protection of civilians in armed conflict became a specific item on the agenda of the Security Council. The evolution of the idea demonstrates…
The Pentagon’s 2018 Civilian Casualties Report: What’s In It and What’s Next
The Pentagon’s latest annual report, released this morning, lists shockingly low numbers of "credible" civilian casualties. It also illustrated the need for better processes…
New Pentagon Report Significantly Undercounts Civilian Casualties
The latest annual report was on time and included more details than it had in the past, thanks to additional congressional requirements. But it still significantly undercounts…
Gutting the Substance of a Security Council Resolution on Sexual Violence
The United States has abandoned any meaningful commitment to victims and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, in the interest of appeasing domestic anti-abortion constituencies.…
Deconstructing the Int’l Criminal Court’s Decision on Afghanistan
The decision of the International Criminal Court’s Pre-Trial Chamber II refusing to open an investigation into crimes committed in Afghanistan establishes a new Rome Statute…
Smart Justice in Sudan: For Bashir’s Crimes, Is the ICC Still the Best Route?
A remarkable transition is underway in Sudan. After months of protests, Omar Al Bashir’s autocratic regime finally collapsed this month. It is, of course, quite ironic that Bashir,…
New DoD Policy on Amends Needs to Address Transparency Gap
New information from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) reveals a previously unrecognized transparency gap in the U.S. military’s efforts to acknowledge and address civilian…