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.
3,544 Articles
Remarkable statement by UN Secretary General on US Airstrikes in Syria
Were it not for the title of this post, you might never guess that it was the UN Secretary General who said this today: “I am aware that today’s strikes were not carried…
Abu Ghaith Sentence Confirms We Don’t Need Guantanamo
On Tuesday morning, Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law, Suleiman Abu Ghaith, was sentenced to life in a U.S. federal prison. The former al Qaeda spokesman was arrested in Jordan by…
The DoD detainee directive and its definition of “unprivileged belligerency”
I appreciate both Professor Lederman’s (1 and 2) and Mr. Rona’s (1 and 2) thoughtful comments regarding the re-issued DoD Directive on detention (DoDD 2310.01E), and particularly…
Human rights groups petition UN on drone strikes
At the UN Human Rights Council this week, a coalition of human rights groups is calling on all governments to take steps to monitor and promote transparency and legal compliance…
Congress Appropriates Funds for President to Train Syrian Opposition
This week, Congress passed a continuing resolution for the fiscal year 2015, H.J. Res. 214, with a roll call of 78-22 in the Senate and 319-108 in the House. [Text, PDF.] Section…
Guest Post: A Reply to Ryan Vogel and Marty Lederman on DoD Directive 2310.01E [Updated]
Time and again since 9/11 we’ve seen laws, regulations and government officials say one thing, but when awkward facts come to light, we find out that they meant something…
A Response on Department of Defense Directive 2310.01E (Detainee Program)
Over the past couple weeks, Steve Vladeck, Gabor Rona, and Marty Lederman have posted comments and raised some questions about the new Department of Defense (DoD) detainee directive…
A Response to Jonathan Horowitz – Why Unwilling or Unable is Measured by a State’s Capacity to Act as Well as its Willingness to do so
Jonathan Horowitz responded to my earlier post and made two points about the “unable or unwilling” standard that I believe merit some clarification. Jonathan begins by agreeing…
When Institutions Fail: A Thought Experiment
[Editors’ Note: The following post is the second installment of a new feature, “Monday Reflections,” in which a different Just Security editor will take a…
What’s the matter with the revised DoD Directive 2310.01E?
Both Steve and Gabor Rona have posted here in recent days with concerns about the newly promulgated Department of Defense Directive 2310.01E, on the “DoD Detainee Program.”…
Does the Unwilling/Unable Test Hang on Territorial Control?: A Response to Michael Lewis
Professor Yoram Dinstein has characterized war as something that would “appear every once in a while, leave death and devastation in its wake, and temporarily pass away to return…
International Law – and the Unwilling and Unable Test – for US Military Operations in Syria
I greatly appreciate Professor Mike Lewis’s contribution to our discussion of international law on potential US airstrikes inside Syria. In this post, I reply to Mike’s concerns…