Armed Conflict
Law of Armed Conflict/IHL
1,634 Articles
Trump Endorses U.S. Citizen-Turned Libyan Warlord, Despite Video Evidence of Haftar’s Ordering War Crimes
"While American news networks were gripped by blanket coverage of the Mueller report on Friday, the White House released a statement describing a most unusual and supportive phone…
What is a War Crime?
A substantive approach to defining "war crimes" as serious violations of international humanitarian law could help bring a measure of justice in Syria and beyond.
Accountability for War Crimes in Syria: The “Criminalization” Confusion
A new approach to defining what constitutes a "war crime" is needed to ensure domestic courts can provide accountability for war crimes committed in Syria.
Transparency on Civilian Harm in Somalia Matters – Not Just to Americans
"Under the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations, much of the commentary on the use of lethal force in counterterrorism operations has focused on the importance of transparency…
BREAKING: Sri Lankan Presidential Hopeful Sued in Federal Court for Human Rights Violations
Gotabaya Rajapaksa was sued in federal court in the Central District of California by a Canadian citizen who alleges he was detained and tortured from 2007-2010 by the Terrorism…
Beyond Sanctioning Elusive War Criminals, Prosecute the Profiteers
Bidibidi is the world’s second-largest refugee camp. A sea of tents and huts spilling into Uganda from its northern border, the settlement now hosts more than a quarter million…
The Golan Heights and the Perils of “Defensive Annexation”
Trump's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights departs from the bedrock legal prohibition of unilateral annexation: transgressing this norm could create dangerous…
Costs of War Can’t Be Assessed Without Official Civilian Casualty Estimates
A response to Maj. General Charles Dunlap and others who argue that tracking civilian casualties is like tallying "body counts" in Vietnam.
The Mattis Transgender Policy Will Go Into Effect Next Friday
Last Tuesday, in response to a government motion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit altered its previous schedule and ordered the Clerk to issue the…
National Security at the United Nations This Week
Editors’ 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,…
The U.S. Must Forcefully Oppose Blanket Amnesty for Civil War Atrocities in Guatemala
“All the people have disappeared.” So reads a declassified cable from the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City, dated Dec. 28, 1982. The subject was an incident that occurred just…
Domestic Courts Step Up: Justice for Syria One Case at a Time
Further to Ryan Goodman’s recent post on the United States’ welcome support for the German request for the extradition of a high-level Syrian suspect, I have just finished…