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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
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3,331 Articles
A medical staff at Damascus Countryside Specialised Hospital holds a placard reading, "Assad Sees no Red Lines, Only Green Lights!!"condemning a suspected chemical weapons attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun.

The Syrian War’s Forcing Effect on International Law

A new book by Scharf, Sterio, and Williams demonstrates how global legal standards have shifted with the increasing complexity of war.
May 13, 2020
A sign reading, "Office of Military Commissions Expeditionary Legal Complex Guantanamo Bay, Cuba" stands close to where pre-trial hearings are being held for the detainees at the military prison on June 25, 2013 in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Getting It Wrong: The 9/11 Military Commission and the Justiciability of Armed Conflict

In an apparent effort to preserve its own jurisdiction while proceeding towards trial, the 9/11 military commission has made a hash of its armed conflict jurisprudence. It has…
May 13, 2020
A young child has their temperature taken by a medical professional using a no-touch forehead thermometer as part of a COVID-19 screening conducted at a Military Police checkpoint in central Yemen (Ta’izz Governorate) in April 2020. The child does not wear a face mask.

Could the Coronavirus Put an End to the War in Yemen?

The prospects, however difficult, may be more promising now than at any time in this grinding, five-year conflict. But it will require more US diplomacy.
May 11, 2020
Smoke billowing from a sentry box at an entrance of the embassy in the capital Baghdad, after supporters and members of the Hashed al-Shaabi military network breached the outer wall of the diplomatic mission during a rally to protest air strikes that killed pro-Iran fighters in western Iraq.

Why No One Ever Really Wins a Proxy War

The harms outweigh the perceived benefits, short-term and long-term, says a recent study from an expert working group convened by the American Bar Association Center for Human…
May 11, 2020 and
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda delivers her semi-annual briefing on recent developments concerning cases in Libya via a virtual meeting.

National Security at the United Nations This Week (May 1-8)

(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,…
May 8, 2020
Afghan men gather near the road as a military convoy by soldiers from the 1st Platoon, 1-64 Armoured Batallion, US Army - operating under NATO - roll-past security patrols at Morghan-Kecha village in Daman district, Kandahar on September 6, 2012.

Here’s What the New DoD Policy on Civilian Harm Should Include

It should standardize good practice and set the bar where it belongs: safeguarding civilian life from the effects of U.S. military operations.
May 8, 2020 and
US Army from NATO and Afghan commando forces at a checkpoint during a patrol against Islamic State militants at the Deh Bala district in the eastern province of Nangarhar Province. There are multiple vehicles around the checkpoint.

Grading DOD’s Annual Civilian Casualties Report: “Incomplete”

The new information demonstrates how much progress the department has made and yet how much of a paradigm shift is still needed for full accountability.
May 7, 2020 and
Electronics Technician 2nd Class Hao Lienh, assigned to Commander Task Force 56, wears a face mask and stands watch on a Mark VI Patrol Boat before a weapons sustainment exercise in the Arabian Gulf, April 16, 2020.

Iranian Gunboat Harassment and the Rules of Engagement

What to make of Trump's order to “shoot down and destroy” lranian boats that harass US vessels. International law and Standing Rules of Engagement place significant limits.
May 7, 2020 and
Syrians sell vegetables next to buildings heavily damaged and collapsing from Syria's civil war, in the central city of Homs, on April 28, 2020 as Muslims mark the holy month of Ramadan.

Accountability in the Time of COVID-19: Syria & Iraq

The coronavirus crisis has dominated the global news coverage, but the war in Syria has not gone away. The ceasefire brokered by Turkey and Russia in March 2020 remains fragile,…
May 6, 2020
A common hypersonic glide body (C-HGB) launches from Pacific Missile Range Facility during a Defense Department flight experiment, Kauai, Hawaii, March 19, 2020.

Let’s Make a Deal: How to Mitigate the Risk of Hypersonic Weapons

Despite the destructive capability of hypersonic weapons, international arms control law currently does little to regulate their development, testing, or production.
May 6, 2020
A fighter with Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC) wears a face mask while manning a checkpoint in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on April 30, 2020, during the novel coronavirus pandemic crisis.

“Corona Ceasefires”: An Opportunity for Negotiated Agreements?

The historical record shows that transforming unilateral declarations into effective and durable ceasefire and humanitarian agreements is possible, and today’s “corona ceasefires”…
May 4, 2020
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres prepares for a virtual press hearing at a desk with a blue backdrop behind him with the United Nations logo.

National Security at the United Nations This Week (April 25-May 1)

(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,…
May 1, 2020
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