Civilian Casualties (CIVCAS)
209 Articles
Avoiding Collateral Damage on the Battlefield
What are the rules on avoiding harm to civilians in armed conflict and how are they applied in an operational context? A detailed explainer on the processes, technologies, and…
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.
The Progress Not Made on Protecting Civilians
I was recently asked to reflect on the progress the United States has made on civilian protection after two decades of war and counterterrorism operations since 9/11. I got down…
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.
Biden Must Stick to His Pledge to End US Support for the Yemen War
The war in Yemen is a global mark of shame, and the resulting humanitarian disaster threatens the lives of 24 million people.
Defense Policy Negotiations Near Completion in Congress, With Human Rights Provisions in Play
Issues at stake include militarization of law enforcement, civilian casualties, military base renaming, arms transfers, and more.
Human Shields and Proportionality: How Legal Experts Defended War Crimes in Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan Civil War constitutes an unprecedented case in terms of the number of people who were framed as human shields and the mobilization of prominent human rights…
Anticipating the Human Costs of Great Power Conflict
Conspicuously absent from policy and planning documents about great power conflict is a clear-eyed assessment of the likely human costs of such a conflict or considerations for…
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.
Five Years On: Military Accountability and the Attack on the MSF Trauma Center in Kunduz
On the fifth anniversary of the tragic attack by the U.S. military on the Médicins Sans Frontières (MSF) trauma center in Kunduz, Afghanistan, a former U.S. military legal adviser…
Online Symposium on Civilian Casualties: The Law of Prevention and Response
An important symposium series, “Civilian Casualties: The Law of Prevention and Response,” is kicking off on Wednesday (September 30) at noon EDT.
State Dept. Inspector General Report: A Troubling Message on Arms Sales
"A stunning revelation given the repeated, severe cases of civilian casualties resulting from Saudi-led Coalition operations over the past several years."