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International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda (C) sits at the courtroom of the International Criminal Court (ICC) during the closing statements of the trial of former Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda in the Hague, the Netherlands, on August 28, 2018.

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…
Sudanese protesters waving national flags during a protest outside the army headquarters in the capital Khartoum on April 21, 2019.

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,…
Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford and Patrick M. Shanahan, Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense, are seen before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on April 11, 2019 in Washington, DC.

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…

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…
A woman wears a mask and holds a banner reading "Chemical massacre in Syria" on August 28, 2013 outside the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm, during a demonstration against the mass killings in Syria. The poster also shows photos of children that died.

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.
Assyrian Christians, who had fled the unrest in Syria and Iraq, attend a prayer for the 220 Assyrian Christians abducted by Islamic State group jihadists from villages in northeastern Syria in recent days, at the Saint Georges Assyrian Church in Jdeideh, northeast of the Lebanese capital Beirut on February 26, 2015. One person holds a sign reading, “Assyrian Genocide 1915 Never Again!”

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.
U.S. Soldiers stand in formation during a logistics course graduation ceremony.

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…
Sri Lankan Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa rides in a jeep with military officers during a Victory Day parade rehearsal in Colombo on May 17, 2013.

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…
Two men walk near the Paloch oil fields in Upper Nile State, the site of an oil complex and key crude oil processing facility in the north of the country near the border with Sudan. March 2, 2014

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…
President Donald Trump and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu show members of the media the proclamation Trump signed on recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over Golan Heights after a meeting outside the West Wing of the White House March 25, 2019 in Washington, DC.

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…
Graffiti showing a US drone is depicted on a wall to protest against US drone strikes on September 19, 2018 in Sana'a, Yemen.

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.
Silhouettes of soldiers on a transgender flag

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…
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