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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 WarLaw of Armed Conflict/IHLRussia-UkraineSudanUse of Force
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3,314 Articles
Four adult civilians and three children was among the remains of a factory after a reported airstrike by Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, on January 20, 2019.

Getting Past the Veto on Ending Yemen War: How Congress’ Next Moves Can Succeed

Congress can now take two paths to end Yemen War, in light of President's Trump successful veto. A short-term and long-term strategy.
May 3, 2019
Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten, Patrick M. Shanahan, Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of the Air Force Heather A. Wilson listen during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on April 11, 2019 in Washington, DC.

The Pentagon’s 2018 Civilian Casualties Report: What’s In It and What’s Next

The Pentagon’s latest annual report, released this morning, lists shockingly low numbers of "credible" civilian casualties. It also illustrated the need for better processes…
May 2, 2019 and
Smoke billowing out following a coalition air strike in the western al-Daraiya neighbourhood of the embattled northern Syrian city of Raqa on September 5, 2017.

New Pentagon Report Significantly Undercounts Civilian Casualties

The latest annual report was on time and included more details than it had in the past, thanks to additional congressional requirements. But it still significantly undercounts…
May 2, 2019
Sudanese soldiers sit atop a vehicle driving through a sit-in outside the army headquarters in the capital Khartoum on April 28, 2019. Two Sudanese soldier gesture at protesters in the sit-in.

After Bashir, Sudanese People Continue Fight for Democracy and Accountability

The African Union's three-month extension for Sudan's military to hand over to a civilian government might give the protesters time to plan for the country's future. But it also…
Apr. 29, 2019
Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and Iraqi human rights activist Nadia Murad Basee Taha attend a United Nations Security Council meeting at U.N. headquarters, April 23, 2019 in New York City.

Gutting the Substance of a Security Council Resolution on Sexual Violence

The United States has abandoned any meaningful commitment to victims and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, in the interest of appeasing domestic anti-abortion constituencies.…
Apr. 24, 2019
International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda (C) sits at the courtroom of the International Criminal Court (ICC) during the closing statements of the trial of former Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda in the Hague, the Netherlands, on August 28, 2018.

Deconstructing the Int’l Criminal Court’s Decision on Afghanistan

The decision of the International Criminal Court’s Pre-Trial Chamber II refusing to open an investigation into crimes committed in Afghanistan establishes a new Rome Statute…
Apr. 24, 2019
Sudanese protesters waving national flags during a protest outside the army headquarters in the capital Khartoum on April 21, 2019.

Smart Justice in Sudan: For Bashir’s Crimes, Is the ICC Still the Best Route?

A remarkable transition is underway in Sudan. After months of protests, Omar Al Bashir’s autocratic regime finally collapsed this month. It is, of course, quite ironic that Bashir,…
Apr. 24, 2019
Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford and Patrick M. Shanahan, Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense, are seen before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on April 11, 2019 in Washington, DC.

New DoD Policy on Amends Needs to Address Transparency Gap

New information from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) reveals a previously unrecognized transparency gap in the U.S. military’s efforts to acknowledge and address civilian…
Apr. 23, 2019

Trump Endorses U.S. Citizen-Turned Libyan Warlord, Despite Video Evidence of Haftar’s Ordering War Crimes

"While American news networks were gripped by blanket coverage of the Mueller report on Friday, the White House released a statement describing a most unusual and supportive phone…
Apr. 22, 2019
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, in Belgrade on January 17, 2019.

Serb ‘Auxiliary Force’ Escalates Threats to Bosnia’s Stability

Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik risks plunging Bosnia, and with it the volatile Western Balkans, into the region’s worst security crisis since the end of the Yugoslav Wars.
Apr. 22, 2019
United Nations Security Council meeting on January 25, 2019 at the United Nations in New York.

National Security at the United Nations This Week

Editors’ 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,…
Apr. 19, 2019
A sign reading, "Office of Military Commissions Expeditionary Legal Complex Guantanamo Bay, Cuba" stands close to where pre-trial hearings are being held for the detainees at the military prison on June 25, 2013 in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Al-Nashiri III: A No Good, Very Bad Day for U.S. Military Commissions

A stunning, unanimous opinion of the DC Court of Appeals throws out every single pretrial order issued over the past 3 1/2 years in case of Al-Nashiri. What this says about the…
Apr. 16, 2019
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