Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF)

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The US Navy warship USS Sampson (DDG 102) docks at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City

The Many Ways in Which the September 2 Caribbean Strike was Unlawful … and the Grave Line the Military Has Crossed

A deep dive into US domestic authority and law most relevant to the US strike on alleged Venezuelan drug boat.
The US Navy warship USS Sampson (DDG 102) docks at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City on September 02, 2025. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on September 1, 2025, that eight US military vessels with 1,200 missiles were targeting his country, which he declared to be in a state of "maximum readiness to defend" itself. (Photo by MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images)

Legal Issues Raised by a Lethal U.S. Military Attack in the Caribbean

The Trump administration’s extraordinary lethal attack on a purported drug smuggling vessel – and its vow that it is the start of a campaign – raise significant legal issues.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine discusses the mission details of a strike on Iran during a news conference at the Pentagon on June 22, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. U.S. President Donald Trump gave an address to the nation last night after three Iranian nuclear facilities were struck by the U.S. military. In the image he is showing the media a graphic that describes the timeline of the operation. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The Day After U.S. Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Program: A Policy and Legal Assessment

An expert policy and legal assessment of the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and what comes next.
Flags of USA and Iran

Top Experts’ Backgrounder: Military Action Against Iran and US Domestic Law

Experts who advised a president on use of force answer a full range of basic questions on the conditions under which action against Iran would be lawful, and what options Congress…
US Marine Corps hang barbed wire

U.S. Military Action in Mexico: Almost Certainly Illegal, Definitely Counterproductive

U.S. military action in Mexico would not only be illegal, it would sabotage Trump’s stated immigration policy priorities and could lead to retaliation against Americans.
Marco Rubio on stage at Trump Rally

Questions for Senators (and Journalists) to Ask Secretary of State Nominee Marco Rubio

Experts suggest questions for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's confirmation hearing for Trump's pick for Secretary of State, Sen. Marco Rubio.
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 01: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks from the Blue Room balcony of the White House on August 1, 2022 in Washington, DC. Biden announced that over the weekend, U.S. forces launched an airstrike in Afghanistan that killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri. Zawahiri, 71, took over leadership of al-Qaeda in 2011, shortly after American forces killed Osama bin Laden. The president said there were no civilian casualties. (Photo by Jim Watson-Pool/Getty Images)

A Presidential Proclamation to End the Iraq War: Unilateral Executive Action to Defang a Zombie AUMF

President Biden should proclaim the conflict authorized by the 2002 resolution to be over and determine that it is no longer “necessary and appropriate” to use force for the…
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill March 23, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Key Takeaways from September 28 House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing on AUMF Reform

The HFAC hearing clarified the shallowness of the Biden administration’s conception of AUMF reform, divisions between the political branches and within the House, and the risks…
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.
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…
The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Analyzing Previously Undisclosed Use of Force Reports: Challenges of Congressional Oversight of the War on Terror

The executive branch, through noncompliance and defiance, has delayed providing Congress with sufficient information on the war on terror.

How the Expansion of “Self-Defense” Has Undermined Constraints on the Use of Force

Legal Scholar Oona Hathaway examines how expansive U.S. interpretations of "self-defense" have shaped international law.
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