Armed Conflict
Use of Force
823 Articles
When Does the Legal Basis for U.S. Forces in Syria Expire?
The State Department announced earlier this year that the “full and complete defeat of ISIS” is a necessary condition for ending U.S. military operations in Syria. But Senators…
Just Security Podcast: Daphne Eviatar on Military Targeting under Trump
The sharp uptick in civilian casualties from U.S. military operations across the world under President Trump has alarmed human rights lawyers, who say the legal standards for targeting…
Doe v. Mattis: Is the War on ISIS Legal?
Many members of Congress, including those who voted for the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs, feel they haven’t authorized the current fight against ISIS. Unless the executive branch prolongs…
The “Shift Cold” Military Tactic: Finding Room Under International Law
It should surprise no one that evolving military practice raises novel legal questions. It may surprise many that the increasing use of “shift cold” techniques by advanced…
The “Shift Cold” Military Tactic and International Humanitarian Law
New technology allows for new military tactics in urban warfare. Legal questions have been raised about a military practice--called "shift cold"--in which an operator redirects…
“Reasonable Certainty” vs “Near Certainty” in Military Targeting–What the Law Requires
Former deputy legal counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Commander (ret.) Mike Adams and former Special Counsel to General Counsel of the Dep’t of Defense, Ryan…
Japan’s Definition of Armed Attack and ‘Bloody Nose’ Strikes Against North Korea
There has been an important discussion in the last couple of weeks over the legality of possible limited strikes, part of a so-called “bloody nose” strategy, by the United…
Collective Self-Defense and the “Bloody Nose Strategy”: Does it Take Two to Tango?
The Japanese people and their government have reason to be nervous. Last year, North Korea conducted two ballistic missile tests over Japan. If that was not enough, the U.S. Government…
Best Advice for Policymakers on “Bloody Nose” Strike against North Korea: It’s Illegal
In this image provided by the South Korean Unification Ministry, the head of South Korean delegation Lee Woo-Sung shakes hands with the head of North Korean delegation Kwon Hook-Bong…
We’ve Been Here Before: Sticks Don’t Work Well with Pakistan
A Pakistani Army soldier stands near an artillery gun used against pro-Taliban militants while on base at Kabal in the Swat valley of northwestern Pakistan. (John Moore/Getty Images)…
Recent Israeli Strikes on Syria and the Prohibition on the Unilateral Use of Force
An Israeli F-16 jet takes off on December 9, 2014 at the Ovda airbase in the Negev Desert near Eilat, southern Israel. (Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images) On Tuesday, January 9, Israel…
International Criminal Court Indictments of U.S. Officials Are not Impossible
The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s long-expected request to open an investigation of U.S. armed forces and the CIA for crimes allegedly committed in Afghanistan…