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
No, the Defense Department Did Not “Ignore” a Judicial Order in 1973 Cambodia Bombing Case
I argued the Holtzman case. Nothing in Holtzman v. Schlesinger suggests that the military, acting under Presidential instructions, is empowered to ignore court orders.
The Voices from Kyiv: Is the World Legal Order in Decay?
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, and states’ reactions to it, are setting the stage for possible changes to the international legal order. In the end, this is a battle for a…
Голоси з Києва: чи це епоха руйнування світового правопорядку?
Існують різні переломні точки в історії, які визначили метаморфозу міжнародного правопорядку.
How the Pentagon Personnel Firings Threaten Our Apolitical Military
This unprecedented purge of the nation’s top brass suggests that Trump may attempt to fill these roles with officers he perceives as loyal.
Trump Administration’s Mixed Signals on Russia and Ukraine May Reflect Internal Strategic Clash
Chaotic inconsistencies risk undermining its own approach and suggest splits between “peace through strength” and great-power appeasement.
Understanding Sudan’s Conflict by Focusing on Darfur
The city of Al-Fashir is strategically important and represents the crux of Sudan's larger conflict between the SAF and the RSF.
U.S. Military Action in Mexico: Almost Certainly Illegal, Definitely Counterproductive
U.S. military action in Mexico would not only be illegal, it would sabotage Trump’s stated immigration policy priorities and could lead to retaliation against Americans.
Trump’s Gaza Plan is Absurd and an Affront to International Law
Beyond complicating the chances of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the idea undermines core principles of the international legal order and threatens U.S. interests.
The Resilience of International Law in the Face of Empire
We may be effectively reverting, at least temporarily, to an era of imperial rule. But history has demonstrated that international law has a long memory. Lawyers and historians…
A Nordic ‘Trump-Mitigation’ Strategy Amid a Return of Power Politics
These Northern European States, with their Baltic neighbors, will play a vital role in supporting Ukraine and defending international law amid the emerging instability of the Trump…
Trump’s Endgame for the War in Ukraine
An exploration of how bargains between Trump and Putin may play out in negotiations to end Russia's war, and the consequences for the vital interests of Ukraine.
The Disastrous Costs of the Foreign Aid Freeze on US Interests in the Middle East and North Africa
The Trump administration's dismantling of USAID poses significant threats to security in the Middle East and North Africa.