International Law
Just Security offers expert analysis of international law and its role in addressing global challenges. Our coverage includes litigation in international and regional tribunals, the process of international law-making, analysis of compliance and accountability for international law violations–including international criminal justice, and challenges to the international legal order.
3,512 Articles
Soleimani Strike Marks a Novel Shift in Targeted Killing, Dangerous to the Global Order
"President Donald Trump’s decision to target Soleimani ... brings the signature technique of the so-called 'war on terror' – the targeted killing of individuals outside any…
Trump’s Fatal Mistake: Killing Soleimani vs. Countering ISIS
The fight against ISIS is on hold. It’s unclear how exactly it will ever resume. An article by Luke Hartig, former Senior Director for Counterterrorism at National Security Council,…
Civilian Casualties: A Case for U.S. Condolence Payments in Syria
The U.S. military acknowledges it unintentionally killed 40 civilians in a 2017 air strike, but rejects appeals to help those who survived.
The Soleimani Strike and War Powers
Key Legal Questions, With Preview of a New Research Database
United States Killed Iraqi Military Official and Iraqi Military Personnel in the Two Recent Attacks
"If these dimensions of the unfolding events are not properly understood by U.S. decision makers and the media, the currently highly volatile situation—between the United States,…
The Generals Aren’t the Problem; An Ill-Informed Commander-in-Chief Is
Peter Bergen's new book shows how Trump sows divisions in the armed forces and undercuts the military ethos for inclusive decision-making.
A Gambian Paramilitary Fighter Could Face Justice in the United States
While Gambia wrestles with its past and decides how to hold those accused of human rights violations to account, the United States must similarly determine what to do with a former…
ICC Holds Historic Hearing on U.S. Torture and Other Grave Crimes in Afghanistan
While “high crimes and misdemeanors” dominated the news cycle in Washington this month, the focus in The Hague was on grave crimes and mistreatment. Just days before the International…
Taking Stock at 40: The UN Convention Against the Taking of Hostages
A product of its time, the Convention emphasized preventing future terrorist attacks by punishing perpetrators. But now, several decades later, it’s clear that stopping hostage…
“Freedom, Peace, and Justice”: The Surprising Success of Sudan’s Glorious Revolution
What a difference a year makes. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the first protests that would eventually topple the brutal dictatorship of Sudanese President Omar al Bashir.…
Why the Settlements are a Problem for Benjamin Netanyahu
Despite the new U.S. position that West Bank settlements are not "per se" illegal, international accountability for Israeli settlement activity remains a real possibility.
Congress Expands Oversight of U.S. Payments for Civilian Deaths
The payments are among the only ways the U.S. military acknowledges and responds to civilian deaths or injuries in its operations, and previous reporting exposed significant gaps…