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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
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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
U.S. Air Force Space Command Gen. John "Jay" Raymond stands next to the flag of the newly established U.S. Space Command, the sixth national armed service, in the Rose Garden at the White House August 29, 2019 in Washington, DC.

NATO Recognizes Space as an “Operational Domain”: One Small Step Toward a Rules-Based International Order in Outer Space

(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. 4, 2020
Fighters of the Hashed Al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization units) advance through a street in the town of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, after the Iraqi government announced the launch of the operation to retake it from Islamic State (IS) group control, on August 26, 2017.

Iraqi Militias Split Over New Iran-Backed Head, Reflecting Wider Divisions

Understanding the differences among the Hashd al-Sha’abi factions is vital as the organization gains increasing influence in government, including the official Iraqi security…
Mar. 4, 2020
This picture taken on February 13, 2020 shows a view of a watchtower and a section of Israel's wall on the outskirts of Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem in the foreground, the Qalandia camp for Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank behind, and Israeli construction cranes at work on new housing units in the Jewish settlement of Kochav Ya'akov near the West Bank city of Ramallah in the background.

The Middle East Peace “Vision” From an Old CIA Hand

The most problematic, near-term effect of the Trump administration’s “vision” may be its diminishment of critical behind-the-scenes cooperation between the U.S., Israeli,…
Mar. 3, 2020
Delegates taking part in the U.N. Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space visit the USSR exhibit organized in connection with the Conference, Aug. 14, 1968.

Military Space Operations and International Law

(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. 2, 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.

The U.S.-Taliban Accord: Can the Afghan Government Rise to the Occasion?

Intra-Afghan talks are set to start March 10, leaving little time for the Afghan government to organize a negotiation team, even though they've had months to prepare.
Mar. 2, 2020
A hand holds a blue highlighter as they highlight words and phrases of a blurry document.

What to Watch For in White House’s Annual Report on Use of Military Force

The report is due Sunday, March 1, and here are the key legal and policy issues to keep a sharp eye on.
Feb. 29, 2020 and
Cyber operations on mission in the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade operations center at Fort Meade, Md. U.S. Army Cyber Command. The room is covered with computer screens on desks as well as larger screens on the front wall. Each soldier appears to have three screens to their self.

Norm-Skepticism in Cyberspace? Counter-Factual and Counterproductive

Leading expert on international law and cyber responds to statement by Chief of US Naval Operations, Admiral Mike Gilday on international norms in cyberspace.
Feb. 28, 2020
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