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.

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3,331 Articles
Sri Lankan Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa rides in a jeep with military officers during a Victory Day parade rehearsal in Colombo on May 17, 2013.

BREAKING: Sri Lankan Presidential Hopeful Sued in Federal Court for Human Rights Violations

Gotabaya Rajapaksa was sued in federal court in the Central District of California by a Canadian citizen who alleges he was detained and tortured from 2007-2010 by the Terrorism…
Truman next to a newspaper with the headline, "Truman orders U.S. air and sea forces to support South Korea.”

The Limited War Powers Precedent of the Korean “Police Action”

In a recent piece in the Washington Post, Professor Mary Dudziak drew attention to the Executive Branch’s continued reliance upon President Truman’s police action on the Korean…
Two men walk near the Paloch oil fields in Upper Nile State, the site of an oil complex and key crude oil processing facility in the north of the country near the border with Sudan. March 2, 2014

Beyond Sanctioning Elusive War Criminals, Prosecute the Profiteers

Bidibidi is the world’s second-largest refugee camp. A sea of tents and huts spilling into Uganda from its northern border, the settlement now hosts more than a quarter million…
President Donald Trump and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu show members of the media the proclamation Trump signed on recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over Golan Heights after a meeting outside the West Wing of the White House March 25, 2019 in Washington, DC.

The Golan Heights and the Perils of “Defensive Annexation”

Trump's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights departs from the bedrock legal prohibition of unilateral annexation: transgressing this norm could create dangerous…
Graffiti showing a US drone is depicted on a wall to protest against US drone strikes on September 19, 2018 in Sana'a, Yemen.

Costs of War Can’t Be Assessed Without Official Civilian Casualty Estimates

A response to Maj. General Charles Dunlap and others who argue that tracking civilian casualties is like tallying "body counts" in Vietnam.
Security Council meeting on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

An Insider’s View of the Life-Cycle of Self-Defense Reports by U.N. Member States

Important essay by Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga, Legal Adviser of the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations, written in his personal capacity. Diverging State views…
Silhouettes of soldiers on a transgender flag

The Mattis Transgender Policy Will Go Into Effect Next Friday

Last Tuesday, in response to a government motion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit altered its previous schedule and ordered the Clerk to issue the…
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,…
A police officer stands next to portraits of Guatemalas 1960-1996 civil war victims outside the Congress building in Guatemala City on March 13, 2019.

The U.S. Must Forcefully Oppose Blanket Amnesty for Civil War Atrocities in Guatemala

“All the people have disappeared.” So reads a declassified cable from the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City, dated Dec. 28, 1982. The subject was an incident that occurred just…
EU Commissioner for migration and home affairs, Dimitris Avramopoulos, speaks during his visit at Europol in The Hague on June 28, 2018.

Domestic Courts Step Up: Justice for Syria One Case at a Time

Further to Ryan Goodman’s recent post on the United States’ welcome support for the German request for the extradition of a high-level Syrian suspect, I have just finished…
Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Blueprint

Less Transparency Won’t Fix a Lack of Transparency: A Response to Gen. Dunlap on Civilian Casualty Reporting Requirements

"Dunlap’s perspective is a valuable one, and a robust debate on the parameters of transparency around U.S. counterterrorism operations is warranted. But mischaracterizing the…
An 86th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief launches a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft during Exercise Operation Varsity 19-01 on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Feb. 28, 2019.

Legal Explainer: German Court Reins in Support for U.S. Drone Strikes

Unpacking the legal issues discussed in this major decision by German court.
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