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Two U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors fly above Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, Feb. 2, 2018.

The Fatal Flaw in DOD’s Latest Civilian Casualties Report

Lawmakers and even the Trump administration have increasingly expressed concern about the United States waging an “endless war,” and among those concerns is the impact on civilians…
A medical staff at Damascus Countryside Specialised Hospital holds a placard reading, "Assad Sees no Red Lines, Only Green Lights!!"condemning a suspected chemical weapons attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun.

The Syrian War’s Forcing Effect on International Law

A new book by Scharf, Sterio, and Williams demonstrates how global legal standards have shifted with the increasing complexity of war.
Smoke billowing from a sentry box at an entrance of the embassy in the capital Baghdad, after supporters and members of the Hashed al-Shaabi military network breached the outer wall of the diplomatic mission during a rally to protest air strikes that killed pro-Iran fighters in western Iraq.

Why No One Ever Really Wins a Proxy War

The harms outweigh the perceived benefits, short-term and long-term, says a recent study from an expert working group convened by the American Bar Association Center for Human…
Afghan men gather near the road as a military convoy by soldiers from the 1st Platoon, 1-64 Armoured Batallion, US Army - operating under NATO - roll-past security patrols at Morghan-Kecha village in Daman district, Kandahar on September 6, 2012.

Here’s What the New DoD Policy on Civilian Harm Should Include

It should standardize good practice and set the bar where it belongs: safeguarding civilian life from the effects of U.S. military operations.
US Army from NATO and Afghan commando forces at a checkpoint during a patrol against Islamic State militants at the Deh Bala district in the eastern province of Nangarhar Province. There are multiple vehicles around the checkpoint.

Grading DOD’s Annual Civilian Casualties Report: “Incomplete”

The new information demonstrates how much progress the department has made and yet how much of a paradigm shift is still needed for full accountability.
Electronics Technician 2nd Class Hao Lienh, assigned to Commander Task Force 56, wears a face mask and stands watch on a Mark VI Patrol Boat before a weapons sustainment exercise in the Arabian Gulf, April 16, 2020.

Iranian Gunboat Harassment and the Rules of Engagement

What to make of Trump's order to “shoot down and destroy” lranian boats that harass US vessels. International law and Standing Rules of Engagement place significant limits.
A common hypersonic glide body (C-HGB) launches from Pacific Missile Range Facility during a Defense Department flight experiment, Kauai, Hawaii, March 19, 2020.

Let’s Make a Deal: How to Mitigate the Risk of Hypersonic Weapons

Despite the destructive capability of hypersonic weapons, international arms control law currently does little to regulate their development, testing, or production.
Soldiers attached to the 101st Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade from the 1034th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Iowa National Guard and 10th Mountain, 2-14 Infantry Battalion, Ghost Forward Support Company load onto a Chinook helicopter to head out and execute missions across the Combined Joint Operations Area- Afghanistan

Why We Filed a FOIA Request on How Many US Troops Are in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria

Last night, Just Security filed FOIA requests with the Defense Department seeking U.S. troop numbers in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
U.S. Army trainers instruct Iraqi Army recruits at a military base on April 12, 2015 in Taji, Iraq.

U.S. Security Aid Is a Faith-Based Policy

The US government requires more empirical evidence for aid to help improve livelihoods abroad than for financing weapons used to destroy them.
Ryan Meyer, Nike Missile Site Coordinator for Everglades National Park, stands next to a door leading to a bunker attached to one of three facilities that were used to store and potentially launch both conventional and nuclear tipped Nike missiles in reaction to any Russian attack in the Everglades National Park on April 8, 2010 near Everglades City, Florida.

Extend New START — The World Can’t Afford a U.S.-Russia Nuclear Arms Race Too

The chances of successfully negotiating a new, complex deal including China were already slim before the coronavirus pandemic. Now, in the midst of what clearly will be an extended…
Female Marine Corps Recruits

All Americans: Extending Draft Registration Makes Us Stronger

If the US finds itself in a crisis necessitating a mobilization of the American people, it must be able to call on the talents of the entire population, men and women alike.
A Lego Rube Goldberg machine at the Maker Faire 2009 in San Mateo, California.

Rube Goldberg and Military Justice

The decisional layer cake that Congress has put in place over the years, including on sexual assault, is rife with potential for yet more command influence.
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