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
Robert S. Taylor: On the Syria Strikes and Future of Non-UN Humanitarian Action
Why did President Bashar al-Assad use sarin gas earlier this month after years of refraining? Was the U.S. response legal? How should international lawyers think about the future…
Trump on North Korea: The Dangerous Impulse to Go it Alone
At Monday’s press briefing, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked whether President Donald Trump would seek congressional authorization before taking military action…
Former Deputy Assist Sec of Defense: “Glaring” “deficiencies” in Saudi Air Force responsible for civilian casualties in Yemen
Looking for an expert’s explanation of why the Saudi airstrikes in Yemen, which are supported by US arms and assistance, repeatedly kill large numbers of civilians? Andrew Exum,…
When Moral Compulsion is Characterized as a Crime of Aggression
As a number of my colleagues have been debating the lawfulness of the United States striking a Syrian airbase with 59 Tomahawk missiles in response to a purported chemical weapons…
Rethinking the Women, Peace and Security Agenda through the Lens of Resistance
The Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS) was launched in 2000 with the passage of United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 and had the laudable aim of mainstreaming gender…
“The Mother of All Bombs”: Understanding the Massive Ordnance Air Blast Weapon
The Massive Ordnance Air Blast Weapon (MOAB, known informally as the “Mother of All Bombs” and formally as the Guided Bomb Unit, or GBU, 43/B) has attracted a great deal of…
Norms Watch: Tracking the Erosion of Democratic Traditions (Apr. 7-14)
Editor’s Note: Welcome to the latest installment of Norms Watch, our series tracking both the flouting of democratic norms by the Trump administration and the erosion of…
Contortions in the UK’s Arms Export Regime—and Costs of the Yemen War
Since the outset of Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen, the UK has demonstrated that it is willing to go to great lengths to maintain its arms sales to Saudi Arabia. This…
Tracking the White House’s Reasons for Bombing Syria
The Trump administration has offered a handful of reasons why it decided to bomb a Syrian government airfield last week. The Department of Defense says the strike damaged or destroyed…
Important New Bipartisan Bill To Advance Accountability for International Crimes in Syria
Following on the heels of last week’s chemical weapon attack in Syria, Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Bob Corker (R-TN), Bob Menendez…
Apples and Oranges–Obama’s and Trump’s Plans to Strike Syria for Chem Weapons Use
One of the most important policy and legal questions moving forward is whether the Trump administration needs to seek congressional approval for military strikes in response to…
(Apparent) Administration Justifications for Legality of Strikes Against Syria
[Cross-posted at Take Care] The following document has begun to circulate outside the government. It is said to have been developed within the Administration. I have not confirmed,…