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The dome of the US Capitol Building against a blue sky.

Why “Associated Forces” Should be Kept Out of Any New AUMF

Any new AUMF must be limited to only the clearly specified non-state armed groups Congress has voted to authorize war against. Otherwise, Congress risks hard-wiring a multi-front…
The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Questions for Congress to Ask the Biden Administration at the AUMF Hearing

Congress should seek to determine how the executive branch interprets and relies on the 2001 AUMF and where the administration stands on proposed reforms that have been widely…
In this photograph taken on July 31, 2022, smoke rises from a house following a US drone strike in the Sherpur area of Kabul

Permanently Winding Down the War on Terror Requires Greater Transparency

Increased transparency is needed to ensure the United States makes a definitive turn away from endless war.
U.S. Soldiers of the 663rd Ordnance Company, 242nd Ordnance Battalion, drive military vehicles to the explosives range at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Nov. 29, 2019. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Soldiers utilize these ranges to provide controlled disposal of explosive Ordnance. The Coalition is in Iraq by invitation of, and operates in close coordination with, the Government of Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Derek Mustard)

Missed Opportunities and Minor Progress: The FY 2023 National Defense Bill and War Powers

One big disappointing omission and otherwise a mixed bag from the standpoint of winding down the United States’ forever wars -- despite leaders of both parties having proclaimed…
A US army battle tank drives with other infantry-fighting vehicles across dunes.

How Support to Partner Forces Enables Secret War

With security cooperation as a means of pursuing U.S. military objectives becoming more frequent, Department of Defense-led security cooperation, particularly under §§ 333, 127e,…
Somali soldiers enter Sanguuni military base, where an American special operations soldier was killed by a mortar attack on June 8, about 450 km south of Mogadishu, Somalia, on June 13, 2018

What the White House Use of Force Policy Means for the War in Somalia

In principle, the new policy tightens safeguards for airstrikes and special operation raids. But it contains loopholes that will likely allow business as usual for USAFRICOM in…
Rubble lies on the floor near the site of a recent Al Shabab attack on the Hayat Hotel, seen through the window of an armoured car on September 4, 2022 in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Bombing for Peace in Somalia? Time for a Different Approach

The path to peace in Somalia cannot rest on counterterrorism operations alone.
ILE PHOTO: C-5s are parked on the flight line, soon to be on their way to Mogadishu, Somalia. (Photo by USAF)

Biden’s New Counterterrorism Policy in Somalia: Cautions and Unknowns

More information is needed to assess the strategic and legal basis for redeploying U.S. troops to Somalia.
US vehicle is pictured at a military base in Rumaylan (Rmeilan) in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on July 28, 2020. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Still at War: The United States in Somalia

The United States should consider not only the ongoing terrorist threat in Somalia, but also how to stabilize the long-troubled country.

Questions for Congress to Ask the Biden Administration at the AUMF Hearing

Better yet, here's also the information that the witnesses themselves should proactively convey to the American public and Congress.
Trucks carry troops along a dirt road. They carry guns.

Failure to Warn: War Powers Reporting and the “War on Terror” in Africa

How prior administrations failed to tell Congress about special forces engaged in combat operations in Cameroon, Niger, Somalia, Tunisia, and what it means for War Powers and AUMF…
A Somali woman walks in an internally displaced people (IDP) camp as hundreds of people recently fled from southern Somalia US's airstrikes against al Shebab, in Baidoa, autonomous South West State of Somalia, on December 18, 2018.

Plan to Pull U.S. Troops from Somalia is Cold Comfort Amid Civilian Toll of Air War

AFRICOM insists its aim is to ‘degrade’ al-Shabaab. But the US military campaign is taking a heavy toll on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
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