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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3,311 Articles
A screenshot from C-Span2 of Harvey Rishikof speaking. The time reads 7:05pm ET, and the caption below reads, “War, the Constitution and Foreign Policy.”

A Test Case for Guantánamo’s New Convening Authority

The latest Guantánamo military commission case to make headlines—the new charges against Encep Nurjamen (a.k.a. Hambali)—is shrouded in an unusual amount of secrecy. But when…

The “Leahy Law” Prohibiting US Assistance to Human Rights Abusers: Pulling Back the Curtain

With almost weekly news reports of US support for foreign governments with track records of gross human rights abuse—think torture in Yemen by Emirati security forces, violations…
Former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee January 11, 2017 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Tillerson’s “Peaceful” Regime Change for Iran: Really? And What Comes Next?

At this point in our internecine political discourse, it is increasingly rare for foreign policy stories to survive more than a single news cycle unless they involve Russia. …
A Su-22 jet.

Congress’s 2001 AUMF as Legal Basis for US Shootdown of Syrian Jet

  It is not that much of a stretch to say that Congress’s 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) provides a legal basis for the U.S. shootdown of a Syrian jet,…

Timeline of Escalation in Syria: U.S. vs. Iran, Russia, Syria and “Pro-Regime” Forces post January 20, 2017

April 4: Chemical attack A rocket laced with the nerve agent sarin kills more than 80 civilians in Khan Shaykhun in the rebel-held Idlib province. The attack is attributed to the…
Two hands clasp in a handshake. One hand is painted with the American flag. The other is painted with the flag of the United Arab Emirates.

The Potential Legal Implications for the U.S. in the AP’s Disturbing UAE Torture Scoop

[Editor’s note: for an analysis of the policy issues raised by this news, see Luke Hartig’s post “Reported Emirati Abuse of Detainees and the Perils of U.S. Partnerships.”]…

Exclusive: Draft Military Force Authorization against ISIL—by House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ranking Member Rep. Engel

Representative Eliot Engel, the ranking Democratic member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee has prepared a draft authorization for use of military force (AUMF) against ISIL…

On the Precipice: The U.S. and Russia in Syria

A Russian air force Su-30 fighter jet in Syria. The United States and Russia have entered a new and dangerous moment. On Sunday, a U.S. fighter jet shot down a Syrian warplane.…

U.S. Law of War and Israeli Occupation: Why Enforcing International Norms in the Middle East Matters to the U.S.

Donald Trump used his first international trip as president to visit three of the holiest sites of the world’s three major monotheistic religions. He also used the trip to signal…

Exclusive: White House Officials Push For Widening War in Syria Over Pentagon Objections

A pair of top White House officials is pushing to broaden the war in Syria, viewing it as an opportunity to confront Iran and its proxy forces on the ground there, according to…

Regional Leaders Must Prioritize Accountability in South Sudan

East African heads of state and foreign ministers gathered in Ethiopia on June 12 to address the ongoing humanitarian and security crisis in South Sudan. While the discussion centered…

About that “Deconfliction Zone” in Syria: Is the United States on Firm Domestic and International Legal Footing?

The U.S. military has at least three times in recent weeks engaged in hostilities against pro-Syrian regime forces near the At Tanf garrison in southern Syria and shot down a pro-regime…
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