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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
Katherine Gun, a junior Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ) official leaves Bow Street Magistrates court in London with her lawyer.

Iraq ‘Dirty Tricks’ Tale Gets Star Treatment, But Big Questions Remain

The dramatic but little-told story of a British intelligence whistleblower who tried to raise the alarm over a questionable spying campaign to bolster the cause for the Iraq War…
Jul. 19, 2019
US Secretary of the Army Mark Esper, nominee to be Secretary of Defense, testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, July 16, 2019.

What Did We Learn About Mark Esper and How He Views the World?

From Iran to Afghanistan to collective self-defense, the big takeaways from the Senate confirmation hearing for Mark Esper, nominated by the president to be defense secretary.…
Jul. 17, 2019 and
The seals of the U.S. Cyber Command, the National Secrity Agency and the Central Security Service.

U.S. Offensive Cyber Operations against Economic Cyber Intrusions: An International Law Analysis – Part II

Part I demonstrated that the United States is likely to struggle to make a convincing argument that economic cyber intrusions carried out against it breach international law. Consequently,…
Jul. 16, 2019
Jordan's King Abdullah II and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir attend a welcome ceremony at the Queen Alia International Airport in Amman on March 28, 2017 ahead of talks on the eve of the Arab League summit.

Why the ICC’s Judgment in the al-Bashir Case Wasn’t So Surprising

A look at why the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court made the right decision when it decided Jordan should have arrested then-Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir…
Jul. 12, 2019
The seals of the U.S. Cyber Command, the National Secrity Agency and the Central Security Service.

U.S. Offensive Cyber Operations against Economic Cyber Intrusions: An International Law Analysis – Part I

On June 11, 2019, White House National Security Adviser John Bolton announced that U.S. offensive cyber operations would be expanded beyond countering election interference to…
Jul. 11, 2019
A sign reading, “Government property no trespassing,” is posted at the U.S. Border Patrol station where lawyers reported that detained migrant children had been held unbathed and hungry in Clint, Texas. June 26, 2019

We Treat America’s Wartime Detainees Better Than Migrant Children

Migrant children held in temporary government custody should be detained in conditions superior to those of enemy fighters detained during wartime. Today, it appears they are not.…
Jul. 10, 2019
General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Iran's Head of the Revolutionary Guard's aerospace division, looks at debris from a downed US drone reportedly recovered within Iran's territorial waters and put on display by the Revolutionary Guard in the capital Tehran on June 21, 2019.

Self-Defense in International Law: What Level of Evidence?

With the question of whether Iran's actions justify the use of force, the issue of evidence is once again at the forefront of international debate. So, how much evidence does a…
Jul. 8, 2019
Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi holds up maps of the Strait of Hormuz while speaking to the media before a meeting with other UN members on the escalating situation with the United States At United Nation headquarters on June 24, 2019 in New York City.

Iran’s Shifting Views on Self-Defense and ‘Intraterritorial’ Force

Iran’s justification for shooting down a US drone suggests a subtle shift in its understanding of international law.
Jul. 3, 2019 and
A laptop displays a message after being infected by a ransomware as part of a worldwide cyberattack on June 27, 2017 in Geldrop.

Cyberattack Attribution and the Virtues of Decentralization

In the midst of rising tensions between the United States and Iran over tanker attacks and Iran’s downing of a U.S. drone, reports emerged that U.S. Cyber Command had launched…
Jul. 3, 2019
Members of the Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the "White Helmets", carry away a body on a stretcher following a reported government air strike in the village of Benin, about 30 kilometres south of Idlib in northwestern Syria, on June 19, 2019.

To Stem the Flow of Refugees, Address the Conflicts at Their Core

If the railing about migrants is genuine rather than politically convenient, it’s time to apply the prodigious talents, skills, and still surprisingly robust political capital…
Jul. 2, 2019
Just Security

After Sudan’s Attacks on Protesters, Crucial Next Steps for the U.S.

(Editor’s note: This is the second of two articles on the Sudan security forces’ June 3 attacks on peaceful demonstrators and what may happen next. The first article detailed…
Jun. 28, 2019
Just Security

Anticipating the President’s Way Around the War Powers Resolution on Iran: Lessons of the 1980s Tanker Wars

Former senior State Department lawyer, Todd Buchwald, who worked on war powers issues during the 1980s Tanker Wars involving U.S. military actions against Iran, explains how the…
Jun. 28, 2019
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