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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3,316 Articles
STRASBOURG, FRANCE - MARCH 26: (L-R) International flags fly in front of the Strasbourg Cathedral on March 26, 2009 in Strasbourg, France. The NATO's 60th anniversary summit will take place in Strasbourg, France and Baden-Baden, Germany from April 3-4. (Photo by Miguel Villagran/Getty Images)

France Looks to New NATO Strategic Concept to Advance European Defense Capabilities

Expectations for the upcoming NATO Summit in Madrid, how France sees bolstering EU and NATO capabilities, and France's posture on the war in Ukraine.
People formerly detained in relation to the conflict in Yemen are transported back to their region of origin or to their home countries by the ICRC. Former detainees get off the plane chartered by the ICRC and reunite with family members.

Taking Action, Not Sides: The Benefits of Humanitarian Neutrality in War

"I argued that it was immoral to remain neutral when faced with genocide and war crimes. .... I was not right, as I realized a few years later while working for the ICRC."
Image: BAGHOUZ, SYRIA - MARCH 24, 2019: A Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighter walks past destroyed vehicles in the final ISIL encampment on March 24, 2019 in Baghouz, Syria. The Kurdish-led and American-backed Syrian Defense Forces (SDF) declared on March 23 the "100 percent territorial defeat" of the so-called Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. The group once controlled vast areas across Syria and Iraq, a population of up to 12 million, and a "caliphate" that drew tens of thousands of foreign nationals to join its ranks. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Al-Kurdi Capture Raises Thorny Detention Issues

The capture raises a host of issues on detention and prosecution of terrorists in areas where the US does not have a large ground presence.
Nigerian Policemen of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) patrol on the main square in Timbuktu as a woman passes from the left, on December 8, 2021. The carry large guns.

Preventing the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Mali from Falling into Irrelevance

With the UN Security Council considering renewal of MINUSMA's mandate, are there ways it can better address the range of security threats?

Визначення геноциду та Україна: запитання та відповіді з колишнім послом Тоддом Бухвальдом

Як уряди повинні визначати, коли має місце геноцид, і які правові та політичні наслідки?

Genocide Determinations and Ukraine: A Q&A with Fmr. Ambassador Todd Buchwald

Former U.S. Amb. for Global Criminal Justice explains the legal and policy considerations for determining a genocide has occurred (or is underway) and examines the potential consequences.
Displaced villagers and their belongings are seen along a road after being evacuated from flooded water in Juba, South Sudan on September 28, 2021. Thousands of residents were displaced as rivers overflowed with heavy rain across parts of the country. (Photo by PETER LOUIS GUME/AFP via Getty Images)

South Sudan: The Road to a Living Hell, Paved with Peace Deals

A singular focus by the US and partners on power-sharing and elections to end the war has instead bred famine and a violent kleptocracy.

Hidden In Plain Sight: US Nonprofits As Drivers of Illegal Israeli Settlements

US NGOs direct tax deductible contributions to organizations engaged in building settlements on occupied territory.
Vessels transit in the Adriatic Sea.

Don’t Forget Your Friends: Risks and Opportunities in Security Partnerships

Any policy on civilian protection that lack a robust plan for working with partners would be incomplete. New frameworks, tools, and capabilities are needed to support partners…
Taxi drivers stand by their cars while waiting for passengers in front of the headquarters of Russia's Federal Security Services (FSB) in central Moscow on May 12, 2022. Russia's government has put forward a law to force ride-hailing apps to give the FSB domestic intelligence agency real-time access to their data. (Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images)

Defectors Provide Immediate Gratification, But Spies Change History

The CIA’s Instagram post on how to make "secure virtual contact” shows the need for agents and their ability to provide ongoing intelligence.
Rescue workers carry the body of a victim killed by aerial attacks carried out by aircraft of the coalition led by Saudi Arabia targeting a prison in the Houthi stronghold Saadah Province, on January 22, 2022 in Saadah, Yemen. The assault reportedly killed at least 90 prisoners and injured more than 100 others. (Photo by Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

US Military Support to the Saudi-Led Coalition in Yemen Amid Civilian Toll: Mapping the Connections

A media-human rights investigation shows the US may be ignoring data showing the likelihood that its aid went to units implicated in abuses.
A person walks along a street past a charred residential building in the city of Mariupol on April 29, 2022, amid the ongoing Russian military action in Ukraine. (Photo by ANDREY BORODULIN/AFP via Getty Images)

Transitional Justice in Ukraine: Guidance to Policymakers

A successful mechanism must involve civil society and include the impact of Russia’s armed conflict preceding this year’s full invasion.
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