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.

× Clear Filters
3,314 Articles
Waad al-Kateab filming the ruins of a building destroyed by bombing in besieged east Aleppo, October 2016.

To Watch “For Sama” Is To Bear Witness

“To try and live a normal life in this place is to stand against the regime.” Those are the words of Waad al-Kateab, a young filmmaker and mother, who chronicles her life in…
A woman walks by a crater cause by a car bomb explosion in the town of Suluk in Syria's Turkish-controlled Tal Abyad border region on November 10, 2019, in which Ankara said at least eight people were killed and more than 20 wounded.

Turkey’s Syria Invasion: German Research Report Says Illegal on All Counts

A German parliamentary research report serves as an important reminder that evidence and proportionality matter, and that exceptions to the prohibition of the use of force should…
Antique Vintage Map of Europe

Trump Repudiates a Century of U.S. Policy

The United States has consistently held that it was in our national security interest to ensure that only peaceful means were used to alter political boundaries in Europe. The…
A poster for the Amazon original The Report.

Go See The Report, Then Let’s Put Torture to Bed For Good

The movie is a much-needed reminder that many people know very little about our government’s decision to torture in the aftermath of 9/11, and maybe even less about related developments…
A member of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) stands on guard past US military armoured vehicles and soldiers on patrol near an oil well in Rumaylan (Rmeilan) in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on November 6, 2019.

The US Mission Tied to Syrian Oil Fields May Prove the Worst of All Strategic Options

"What seems like a well-intentioned effort to mitigate a mess of Trump’s own making ultimately could make matters worse."
A Coalition member hangs an 81-millimeter mortar prior to launching it at a known ISIS location near the Iraqi-Syrian border, May 13, 2018.

Congress Must Act to Protect Those Who’ve Supported Us in Syria

Congress should pass comprehensive legislation mirroring the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act to provide similar options for our Kurdish partners and others in Syria who are in danger.…
World flags in front of the United Nations building

National Security at the United Nations This Week

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,…
Turkish and Russian military vehicles return from a joint patrol in the countryside of Kiziltepe town in Syria's northeastern Mardin province on the Syrian-Turkish border, on November 1, 2019.

Germany’s Syria Debate: Four Key Questions on European Military Action

Germany’s Defense Minister triggered a debate there and across the Atlantic when she called recently for greater German involvement in Syria and for the establishment of an international…
UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen (C), Syrian MP Ahmad Al-Kuzbari (L) and Opposition Syrian Negotiations Commission Hadi Al-Bahra attends a ceremony to mark the opening of a meeting of the Syria constitution-writing committee on October 30, 2019 at the United Nations Offices in Geneva.

National Security at the United Nations This Week

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,…
Trump speaks in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House in Washington, DC, October 23, 2019 as US Vice President Mike Pence and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo look on.

How Trump Could Really End “Endless Wars”

If Trump were serious about his professed desire to end endless wars, he would offer a responsible plan for repealing the statutory authorization that three successive administrations…
Venezuela's National Assembly head Juan Guaido waves to the crowd during a mass opposition rally against leader Nicolas Maduro in which he declared himself the country's "acting president", on the anniversary of a 1958 uprising that overthrew military dictatorship, in Caracas on January 23, 2019.

The Rio Treaty: Paving the Way for Military Intervention in Venezuela?

Renewed focus on the presence of terrorist groups in Venezuela, and the Maduro regime’s involvement with such groups, suggest that the ground is being paved for a potential military…
Trump speaks at the White House on October 27, 2019.

Trump’s Communications Malpractice Mars His Victory Lap on al-Baghdadi

The president politicized the raid’s aftermath and jeopardized our foreign policy and military operations in the process.
1-12 of 3,314 items

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