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.
3,526 Articles

Brett Kavanaugh and the Risk of a Return to Torture
Brett Kavanaugh, holds a stark view of the role of international law, which could threaten the protection of fundamental human rights, including the right not to be tortured.

To Be a True Reformer, Ethiopia’s Abiy Must Commit to Human Rights Accountability
From his historic overture to Eritrea to his unprecedented opening of the Ethiopian economy, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia has branded himself as a reformer since assuming…

Nuclear Arms Control After Helsinki: If Trump and Putin Want a Deal on Arms Control, Here’s Where to Start
Amid the uncertainty surrounding the discussion between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in their two-hour summit meeting without staff in Helsinki,…

Precision and Civilian Casualties: Policymakers Believe Drones Can Be Precise. That May Not Be Enough.
What do policymakers’ own views of drones – particularly as they relate to civilian casualties – reflect, and how do those views affect policymaking?

The Latest ISIS Casualty? UK’s Principled Opposition to the Death Penalty
Like a dripping corrosive liquid, ISIS and the response it provokes from governments are slowly eating away at key human rights principles. Driven by a desire to appear tough on…

Two Important New Civilian Casualties Provisions in the Defense Authorization Bill
Draft text of the annual defense authorization bill contains two important provisions related to civilian casualties resulting from U.S. military operations.

The Unchanging Reality of the UN Sex Abuse Scandal
The UN has not been doing enough to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse by its peacekeepers and there is only so much the UN can do on its own to stop the problem. These are…

The Challenge of Foreign Assistance for Anti-ISIS Detention Operations
New York Times reporter Charlie Savage last week gave readers a fascinating look inside the makeshift detention facilities where the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)…

U.S.-Russia Military Coop: Sec. Mattis Doesn’t Need Congress’ Permission, But Congress Has Control Options
"Some misunderstanding persists about the scope of the statutory prohibition on bilateral military-to-military cooperation with Russia, the relatively straightforward requirements…

Just Security Podcast: Shaheed Fatima QC on Protecting Children in Armed Conflict
Recent years have seen an escalation in impact of war on children – from the sexual enslavement to the deliberate bombing of their schools – subjecting a generation of children…

Concerning the Congressional Prohibition on U.S.-Russia Bilateral Military Cooperation
[Editor’s Note from Ryan Goodman: On Thursday, I wrote about a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act, which stipulates that no funds may be “used for…

Does a Years’ Old Congressional Statute Prevent a Trump-Putin Agreement for Military Cooperation?
"Pentagon officials may feel a sense of security that the congressional statute forecloses certain options. But does it?"