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
The damaged interior of the hospital in which the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) medical charity operated is seen on October 13, 2015 following an air strike in the northern city of Kunduz.

Why the US Military Needs to Rethink How It Investigates Civilian Harm

A new report analyzed a total of 228 investigations into reported civilian harm in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria between 2002 and 2015.
Feb. 13, 2020
Sudan's deposed military ruler Omar al-Bashir stands in a defendant's cage during the opening of his corruption trial in Khartoum on August 19, 2019.

Sudan Announces Intention to Have al-Bashir and Others “Appear” Before the ICC

Sudan's transitional government said al-Bashir and others indicted by the ICC for atrocities in Darfur must "appear" before the Court, but whether extraditions will occur remains…
Feb. 13, 2020
Two girls sit in a north Tehran coffee shop using Facebook on a laptop and looking at a mobile phone on October 13, 2013.

Instagram Content Removals in Iran Highlight Questions Over Facebook’s New Oversight Board

Facebook’s recent release of the bylaws for its new Oversight Board, which will be charged with reviewing takedown decisions by Facebook and Instagram, came on the heels of reports…
Feb. 12, 2020
A Turkish military convoy passes through the town of Binnish in Syrias northwestern province of Idlib, near the Syria-Turkey border on February 10, 2020.

American Policy Paralysis in the Middle East Strikes Idlib

While observers of the Middle East focus on the spiraling escalation of US-Iran tensions, a humanitarian crisis with potentially far greater consequences is rapidly unfolding in…
Feb. 11, 2020
Two refugees, a Honduran child and her mother, sit on the ground of the border bridge after being denied entry from Mexico into the U.S. on June 25, 2018 in Brownsville, Texas. The mother covers her face and the child with her sweater, and two border agents lean against a wall in the background.

Never Mind “America First” — Trump’s Newly Expanded Immigration Ban Puts Americans Last

Nationality-based restrictions will separate families and are the wrong tool to promote public safety and national security.
Feb. 7, 2020
Some US soldiers sit with guns in a trench while additional soldiers walk around their damaged vehicle at the site of a Taliban suicide attack in Kandahar on August 2, 2017.

Afghanistan Papers, the Miniseries, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bombshell

The Washington Post describes the story as uncovering a widespread effort by U.S. officials to “conceal the truth” about the war. A close reading shows that's not the case.
Feb. 5, 2020
An unarmed Trident II D5 missile launches from the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska (SSBN 739) off the coast of San Diego, California, Sept. 4, 2019.

Pentagon Deployment of New, “More Usable” Nuclear Weapon Is a Grave Mistake

DoD now acknowledges it has deployed a new, sea-based nuclear warhead capability. But the administration’s stated rationale for the new weapon is deeply flawed, and the decision…
Feb. 5, 2020
A female de-miner works to clear mines in Muhamalai, one of the biggest minefields in the world, on March 3, 2019 in Muhamalai, Sri Lanka. A sign with a skull and cross bones reads, “Danger Mines!” in three different languages.

US Should Think Again About Reversing Landmine Policy

The Trump administration announced Friday that the United States will re-start using and producing antipersonnel landmines. The new policy follows the U.S. retreat from multilateralism…
Feb. 4, 2020
Rescue teams work amidst debris after a Ukrainian plane carrying 176 passengers crashed near Imam Khomeini airport in the Iranian capital Tehran early in the morning on January 8, 2020, killing everyone on board.

Human Shielding (by Omission) in Iran

Iran violated its legal obligations to take passive precautions to protect civilians under its control, with the intent that those civilians shield military targets from attack.…
Jan. 31, 2020
Members of the 7th Armoured Brigade, who have recently returned from service on operations in Iraq, march through Parliament Square towards the Houses of Parliament on February 23, 2009 in London.

U.K. Proposes to Limit Accountability for Violations by Armed Forces

The British government is considering an unprecedented and comprehensive package of measures designed to shield both individual members of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of…
Jan. 30, 2020
$100 US Bill

Sudan’s Push for Removal from U.S. Terror List: Not a Panacea

There are ways to achieve the goals Sudan’s pro-democracy forces have set for their country, but it will require multiple, methodical steps by both Sudan and the United States.
Jan. 29, 2020 and
Members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi military network set a door ablaze as they try to break into the US embassy building in the capital Baghdad, on December 31, 2019.

After Soleimani Strike, Iran-Backed Militias Threaten Iraq’s Stability: An Explainer

There is a real risk that Iran-backed militias are driving Iraq back towards conflict. And their power is greatly enhanced by their legal status as organs of the Iraqi state.
Jan. 28, 2020
1147148149150151278
1-12 of 3,331 items

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