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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 WarLaw of Armed Conflict/IHLRussia-UkraineSudanUse of Force
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3,314 Articles
Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) hearing to receive oral arguments in the appeals of victims and of the Prosecutor against Pre-Trial Chamber II's "Decision Pursuant to Article 15 of the Rome Statute on the Authorisation of an Investigation into the Situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan". The Appeals Chamber in this appeal is composed of Judge Piotr Hofmański, Presiding judge, Judge Howard Morrison, Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza, Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa and Judge Kimberly Prost. December 4, 2019

The “Interests of Justice” at the ICC: A Continuing Mystery

David Luban explains how the ICC Appeals Chamber missed an opportunity to clarify what "interests of justice" the Prosecutor must consider in authorizing an investigation in the…
Mar. 17, 2020
PBS NewsHour's Yamiche Alcindor asks President Donald Trump about decision to close National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense, March 13, 2020.

Lessons Ignored: John Bolton’s Bogus Defense of “Streamlining” Away Our Bio-Readiness

Former director of USAID’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance won't let John Bolton rewrite history. "What undermines public confidence ... is the administration’s own…
Mar. 16, 2020
In this photograph, what appears to be a big explosion is an electromagnetic railgun is fired at 10.64 megajoules with a muzzle velocity of 2,520 meters per second at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, VA. January 31, 2008.

The Complex Policy Questions Raised by Nuclear Energy’s Role in the Future of Warfare

Military planners are eyeing a new generation of energy-dense nuclear reactors to power future high-energy weapons, despite potential policy and legal challenges to doing so.
Mar. 16, 2020 , and 1 more
World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme Director Michael Ryan, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WHO Technical Lead Maria Van Kerkhove speak at a daily press briefing on COVID-19 virus at the WHO headquaters on March 11, 2020 in Geneva.

National Security at the United Nations This Week (Mar. 7 to Mar. 13)

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,…
Mar. 13, 2020
Defense Department General Counsel Paul C. Ney gives a speech at BYU Law School on March 4, 2020.

The Trump Administration’s Latest (Failed) Attempt to Justify the Soleimani Strike

Two months after killing Qassem Soleimani, the Trump administration still hasn’t gotten its story straight. On January 3rd, the day of the operation, and for the next 10 days,…
Mar. 13, 2020
The dome of the U.S. Capitol Buidling and the US flag.

The Soleimani Strike and the Case for War Powers Reform

With passage of historic war powers legislation on Iran, a leading authority homes in on what deep reform of the war powers should look like.
Mar. 11, 2020
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar shake hands after signing a peace agreement during a ceremony in the Qatari capital Doha on February 29, 2020.

Peace in Afghanistan: Showmanship over Substance

It is clear why it is in the best interests of both the Taliban and the Trump administration to maintain the masquerade despite ongoing Taliban and Haqqani attacks targeting both…
Mar. 11, 2020
Binary code in blue on a blue and black background

The Defense Department’s Measured Take on International Law in Cyberspace

A close reading of the Defense Department's statement on cyber by top expert, comparing it to positions of Australia, France, Netherlands, United Kingdom and others.
Mar. 11, 2020
Syrian Army defector "Caesar," (in a blue hooded jacket) who has smuggled out of Syria more than 50,000 photographs that document the torture and execution of more than 10,000 dissidents, listens to an interpreter during a briefing before House Foreign Affairs Committee July 31, 2014 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Balancing Syria Advocacy and Witness Safety: Have We Lost Sight?

Groups documenting war crimes and other violations must revisit their methods of evidence collection and improve compliance with “do no harm” principles.
Mar. 10, 2020
Japan's H-IIA rocket carrying the Kirameki-2 satellite is launched from Tanegashima Space Centre in southern Tanegashima island, Kagoshima prefecture, on January 24, 2017.

War in Space: How International Humanitarian Law Might Apply

(Editor’s Note: The absence of a comprehensive analysis of the legal framework for military operations in outer space represents a troubling deficiency in the understanding of…
Mar. 9, 2020 and
A small Yemeni child walks barefoot on rubble of a building destroyed in an airstrike carried out by the Saudi-led coalition, at the Old City of Sana'a, on July 07, 2019 in Sana'a, Yemen.

Preventing and Responding to Civilian Casualties: An Upcoming Discussion on Law, Policy, and Progress

Civilian casualties are inevitable in armed conflict. Nonetheless, international law requires armed forces to distinguish between civilians and lawful military objectives, and…
Mar. 9, 2020

Int’l Criminal Court’s Afghanistan Decision Expands Prosecutor’s Power: What to Expect Next

The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) authorized a formal investigation into alleged crimes committed during the war in Afghanistan on Thursday, overturning…
Mar. 6, 2020
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