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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
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…
Nov. 6, 2019 and
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,…
Nov. 1, 2019
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…
Nov. 1, 2019 and
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…
Oct. 29, 2019
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.
Oct. 28, 2019
Trump makes a statement in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House October 27, 2019 in Washington, DC.

How Trump’s Gilding the Lily on Baghdadi Death Will Return to Haunt Americans

I handled State Dept’s public messaging after we killed bin Laden. I know the risks.
Oct. 27, 2019
People hold a Turkish flag as they give their support to the Turkish military during the deployment of tanks to Syria on October 12, 2019 in Akcakale, Turkey.

Assessing Turkey’s “Resettlement” Plans in Syria under the Law of Occupation

Turkey's "resettlement plan" for northern Syria - involving the transfer of at least 1 million refugees to the area within Syria it intends to control - is unlawful under the international…
Oct. 23, 2019 and
Sri Lankan Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa rides in a jeep during a Victory Day parade rehearsal in Colombo on May 17, 2013. Military personnel in uniform surround him.

Suit Against Sri Lankan Presidential Candidate Rajapaksa Dismissed on Common Law Immunity Grounds

Among other deficiencies, the ruling failed to acknowledge jurisprudence from other courts indicating that jus cogens violations can never constitute “official” acts entitling…
Oct. 23, 2019

“With a Little Help from Our Friends”: Prosecuting the ISIL “Beatles” in U.S. Courts

Civilian prosecution in U.S. courts remains by far the best option for reliably bringing the two ISIL detainees in U.S. custody to justice. The DoJ should look closely at whether…
Oct. 22, 2019 and
Turkey-backed Syrian fighters gather on the outskirts of the key Syrian border town of Ras al-Ain on October 16, 2019 during the ongoing assault by Turkey and its allies on Kurdish-held border towns in northeastern Syria.

Turkey’s (Latest) Invasion of Syria: Aggression, Proportionality, and Legal Consequences for NATO and Third-Party States

"All States are legally required to cooperate to bring any serious breach of a peremptory norm to an end by lawful means. Conversely, States are legally prohibited from helping…
Oct. 17, 2019
The Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany.

The German Constitutional Court on the Right of Self-Defense Against ISIS in Syria

German Constitutional Court concludes that the government has a reasonable claim that the UN Charter permits use of force in self-defense against non-state actors — at least…
Oct. 16, 2019 and
Turkish soldiers are trasported in armoured personnel carriers through the town of Tukhar, north of Syria's northern city of Manbij, on October 14, 2019, as Turkey and its allies continues their assault on Kurdish-held border towns in northeastern Syria.

Turkey’s Actions Trigger All States’ Obligations to Prosecute War Crimes by Turkish Forces

Activating the global system of criminal enforcement for war crimes prosecutions
Oct. 15, 2019 and
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