Military
861 Articles

Sri Lanka’s UN Efforts to Stave Off Justice for War Crimes
The Rajapaksa government has gone so far as to install someone allegedly associated with a death squad on the Human Rights Council.

Why We Haven’t Made Progress on Civilian Protection
Three reasons for the lack of progress on reducing civilian casualties: We don’t learn, we don’t lead, and we don’t help our partners—or hold them to a high enough standard.

Power Politics Obstructs Protection of Civilians in — and After — the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
Five measures that Azerbaijan and Armenia, along with Russia, Turkey, and the international community must take now to improve conditions.

Spotlight on Sri Lanka as UN Human Rights Council Prepares Next Session
Concerns over impunity and a troubling decline in human rights will be prominent, with a long-awaited report by the UN high commissioner for human rights.

The Demise of Arms Control Extends Far Beyond Nuclear Weapons
Bilateral and multilateral mechanisms are disintegrating amid tech advances, and “grey zones” below military conflict thresholds are ripe for exploitation.

What Should Be Addressed in Austin’s Confirmation Hearing for Defense Secretary?
Some of the top defense experts and thinkers offer their thoughts on what issues they’d like to see addressed and what questions they’d like to see asked at retired Gen. Lloyd…

US Human Rights Policy: How to Really Build Back Better
The Biden administration must create a system in which human rights and democracy policymaking is embedded and integrated in its decision-making machinery.

Tragedy at the Capitol: Four Questions that Demand Answers
How can the U.S. Capitol, surrounded by one of the largest concentrations of law enforcement and national security personnel in the world, be so quickly overrun?

Pentagon Moves Undermine Counterterrorism Strategy
Instead of acquiescing to the whims of a lame-duck president, Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller should insist upon maintaining sufficient capability to prevent the resurgence…

Let’s Not “Fight Like Hell” Without a Strategy: At the VA, Put First Principles First
As the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reels from scandal, President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of veterans affairs, Denis McDonough, promises to “fight like…

Shifting Norms About Secretary of Defense Has Long-Term Consequences: On the Austin Nomination
Even if retired Gen. Lloyd Austin handles the job of defense secretary perfectly, his nomination alone still has long-term consequences, eroding the norm of civilian control by…

Important Context Missing from the Austin Nomination Debate
Civilian control of the military is an essential part of our constitutional fabric, but that doesn’t mean that recently retired officers are inevitably inappropriate defense…