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.
3,611 Articles
Yemen: Where Coalitions Come to Die
Yemen is the cemetery of invaders, or so the ancient proverb goes, and today it is certainly the burial ground of foreign military coalitions.
The Once and Future Threat of Nuclear Weapon Testing
Some Trump administration officials have signaled hostility to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and an interest in the United States resuming nuclear weapon testing, which could…
U.S.-Turkey “Safe Zone” Likely to Add Fuel to Syria Conflict
"While there is a significant risk that a new arrangement will further destabilize this highly volatile region and threaten the security of millions of civilians, there is also…
War is as War Does: World Order and the Future of Conflict
The release of the first part of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee’s bipartisan investigation into Russia’s 2016 election interference and Robert Mueller’s recent…
Act Now to Celebrate the U.N. Women, Peace and Security Agenda in 2020
The United Nations Security Council took a historic step in October 2000 to promote the role of women in global peace and security. But if we want to be in a position to truly…
Part III: The Muddy Middle: A New Framework for Use of Force
We may not have wanted to land in this muddy middle between peace and war that we currently find ourselves in, but this is the reality of the current moment in the counterterrorism…
Proportionality and 150 Iranian Lives: Do They “Count”?
General (ret.) Ken Watkin explains why assessing civilian casualties in the jus ad bellum proportionality analysis is the right approach.
Part II: The Muddy Middle: Challenges of Applying Use of Force Policy Guidance in Practice
In part two of a three-part series, the authors explain how new operational models for both why and how the U.S. used force outside areas of active hostilities created tensions…
The Muddy Middle: The Disappearing Lines in America’s Counterterrorism Wars and How to Restore Order
In three articles, the authors explain how the lines have blurred between U.S. military operating procedures for use of force in hot war zones versus outside areas of active hostilities…
To the 2020 Candidates: As President, Would You Prevent Another Genocide?
Two types of questions — asking about a specific country context or a broad use-of-force policy — have guided debates on the national stage about the U.S. role in atrocity…
U.S. Has Legal and Moral Responsibility to Protect Civilians at Rukban in Syria
With the U.S. in control of the at-Tanf region of Syria, both international humanitarian law and basic morality dictate that the U.S. ensure vital supplies reach the civilians…
Army and Marine Corps Publish New Manual: The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Land Warfare
The Army and the Marine Corps just released its newest publication, The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Land Warfare. Over 20 years in the making, it provides operational…