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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3,333 Articles

Doe v. Mattis: Is the War on ISIS Legal?

Many members of Congress, including those who voted for the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs, feel they haven’t authorized the current fight against ISIS. Unless the executive branch prolongs…

The Human Cost of Trump’s Weakness Toward Russia

Chemical weapons attacks, aerial bombardments, malnutrition, sexual violence and other means of torture define Syria, with a new massive atrocity every few weeks. There is no end…

Episode 60 of the National Security Podcast: TL;DL – This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

An over-long episode with a short title to reflect a very busy–and somewhat bizarre–eight day stretch in the wide world of national security law.  This week, your hosts Professor…

The Yemen Crisis and the Law: The Saudi-Led Campaign and U.S. Involvement

Easily overlooked amidst the news cycle of the Trump era, the war between the Saudi Arabia-led coalition and an alliance of local factions in Yemen continues apace. The conflict…
U.S. F-35B fighter jets drop GBU-32 bomb during a training at the Pilsung Firing Range on September 18, 2017 in Gangwon-do, South Korea. The fighter jets fly above the clouds.

The “Shift Cold” Military Tactic: Finding Room Under International Law

It should surprise no one that evolving military practice raises novel legal questions. It may surprise many that the increasing use of “shift cold” techniques by advanced…
A Block 30 F-16 from the 416th Flight Test Squadron drops a Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) during testing in January, 2003 at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

The “Shift Cold” Military Tactic and International Humanitarian Law

New technology allows for new military tactics in urban warfare. Legal questions have been raised about a military practice--called "shift cold"--in which an operator redirects…

UN Releases Guidelines for Team Investigating ISIS Crimes in Iraq

Back in September, we covered the establishment by the U.N. Security Council of a novel "Investigative Team" to investigate international crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity…

“Reasonable Certainty” vs “Near Certainty” in Military Targeting–What the Law Requires

Former deputy legal counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Commander (ret.) Mike Adams and former Special Counsel to General Counsel of the Dep’t of Defense, Ryan…

The United States Can – And Should – Prosecute the Killers of US Journalists and Aid Workers in Syria

Two formerly British ISIS combatants who are suspected of murdering three US citizens are now in US allies’ custody. The "ISIS Beatles" can and should be tried in US federal…

Episode 59 of the National Security Law Podcast: Share the Cookies

We don’t lack for topics this week!  In today’s episode, Professor Chesney and I eat a number of cookies while talking about the following: Rachel Brand steps down at DOJ. …

Al-Alwi and the Unraveling of Detention Authority at the End of Active Hostilities

Last week, President Trump issued a new executive order reversing the 2009 executive order that had ordered the closure of detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and re-asserting…

Japan’s Definition of Armed Attack and ‘Bloody Nose’ Strikes Against North Korea

There has been an important discussion in the last couple of weeks over the legality of possible limited strikes, part of a so-called “bloody nose” strategy, by the United…
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