Just Security – JustSecurity.org

Armed Conflict

Just Security’s expert authors provide analysis on the legal, policy, and strategic dimensions of armed conflict, including the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas war, counterterrorism operations, conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, and other armed conflicts across the globe, with a focus on international humanitarian law, war crimes and accountability, mitigating and remedying civilian harm, and the humanitarian impacts of warfare.

Civilian HarmIsrael-Hamas WarRussia-UkraineSudanLaw of Armed Conflict/IHLUse of Force
× Clear Filters
3,331 Articles
Myanmar migrants in Thailand take part in a protest against the military coup in their home country, in front of the United Nations ESCAP building in Bangkok on March 7, 2021. They wear face masks to protect themselves from contracting COVID-19. Many wave the flag of Myanmar.

Beyond the Coup: Can the United Nations Escape Its History in Myanmar?

After decades of awkward and all-around frustrating engagement, the U.N. needs to step forward with a more flexible and conscious approach that shows it has learned from past mistakes.
May 27, 2021
The ruins of the Al-Jalaa Tower in Gaza City after it levelled by an Israeli air strike during the recent military conflict between Israel and the Palestinian enclave ruled by Hamas, after a ceasefire brokered by Egypt.

The IDF’s Unlawful Attack on Al Jalaa Tower

The IDF's reported view — that civilian apartments don't have to count in the legal analysis when taking such a strike — is flawed beyond repair, writes professor Adil Haque.…
May 27, 2021
The old courtroom building, pictured through an opening from inside an airplane hangar used for media activities at Camp Justice, site of the US war crimes tribunal compound at Guantanamo Bay US Naval Base, Cuba, April 9, 2014. A guard stands at the opening of the hanger.

Torture Evidence and the Guantanamo Military Commissions

Burying evidence of torture, while surreptitiously admitting the fruits of torture is not what a decent legal system does. Bringing to justice those accused of atrocious crimes…
May 26, 2021
Tear gas fired by the police covers a street at Tsuen Wan in Hong Kong on August 25, 2019 during a demonstration for democratic rights. A traffic cone and bricks lie in the street.

Clearing the Fog of War Surrounding Battlefield Use of Tear Gas

The United States takes the (minority) view that international law does not prohibit the defensive use of tear gas in war - and that this could protect civilians - but the risks…
May 25, 2021
Members of the Civil defence removing the remnants of a rocket reportedly fired by regime forces on the outskirts of the rebel-held besieged Syrian town of Douma in the eastern Ghouta region. They wear gas masks as they work. February 1, 2018

The Eroding Norms Against Chemical Weapons Use Will Need More Than Another Syria Censure to Survive

A challenge inspection and an expanded mandate for a new investigations team are among options to halt the global backsliding.
May 24, 2021
Afghan cyclist Kobra Samim talks with a young girl by a roadside in Kabul on April 14, 2019.

A Laser Focus on Women’s Rights Is Key to Sustainable Afghan Peace

Support Afghan women in peace talks, and analyze every plank of a proposed agreement for its impact on women and men, girls and boys.
May 24, 2021
Protesters wearing traditional Shan dress hold signs as they take part in a demonstration on boats against the Myanmar military coup in Inle lake, Shan state on February 11, 2021. One boat carries people holding letters spelling out, “Get out dictators.”

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: The Need for an Inclusive Accountability

The Feb. 1 coup made it clear that when it comes to maintaining its grip on power, the Tatmadaw does not discriminate. The brutality with which it has consistently engaged with…
May 20, 2021
The US Legend-class national security Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton wears a face mask in the port of Odessa on the Black Sea after conducting joint exercises according to NATO standards with the Ukrainian Navy ship Starobelsk on May 11, 2021 in Odessa, Ukraine.

Neither NATO, Nor Nukes: The Answer to Ukraine’s Security is a Strategic Alliance with the United States

A US-Ukraine alliance wouldn't significantly alter the perceptions of Russian leaders. But it would greatly limit their room to escalate.
May 20, 2021 and
H.E. Mr Fazal Ahmad Manawi Minister of Justice of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mrs Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the ICC, and H.E. Mr Mohammad Haneef Atmar, Minister of Foreign Affairs stand together for a photo at the Seat of the Court in The Hague, The Netherlands, on Friday, 7 May 2021. An ICC banner and flag stand behind them.

The US Should Respect the ICC’s Founding Mandate

An American Society of International Law task force recommends ways to improve the Court, but some of the advice seems to undermine the goal.
May 19, 2021 and
Fire and smoke rise above buildings in Gaza City as Israeli warplanes target a governmental building, early on May 18, 2021 in Gaza City, Gaza.

Dispatch from Israel on Human Shields: What I Should’ve Said to a Dad on the Playground

Who's responsible for the deaths of those civilians in Gaza who were near areas where Hamas operates?
May 18, 2021
Spent bullet casings are seen lying on the ground near the spot where Chit Min Thu, 25, was killed in clashes on March 11, 2021 in Yangon, Myanmar.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: A Crisis Born from Impunity

The roots of the coup can be found both domestically, in the 2008 Constitution, and in the failure of the international community to hold Myanmar's military to account.
May 18, 2021 and
Indonesian police wearing face masks and carrying large guns guard the site of an ASEAN emergency meeting on Myanmar on April 24, 2021 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: The ASEAN Way Must Change

The regional bloc has long adopted a non-interventionist stance in the name of regional stability. But the Myanmar coup shows how this stance actually undermines stability - and…
May 14, 2021 and
1118119120121122278
1-12 of 3,331 items

DON'T MISS A THING. Stay up to date with Just Security curated newsletters: