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Data Centers as Military Objectives: The Russian and Ukrainian Justifications

Experts examine four major international legal questions raised by Russian and Ukrainian attacks on data centers.
A wide shot of a cityscape illuminated by flames, with fire engulfing a tall building on the right-hand side of the frame, foregrounded by a telephone poll, while a leafy tree takes up the foreground of the left-hand side. Two people appear near the center of the frame as silhouettes, the left-most of the two almost entirely covered in shadow.

Might The Gambia v. Myanmar Help Establish Genocidal Intent in Russia’s War on Ukraine?

The Gambia v. Myanmar case before the ICJ will test legal propositions central to assessing whether Russia's war in Ukraine constitutes a genocide under international law.
A kneeling firefighter wearing a black uniform and yellow helmet aims a firehose at the second storey window of a smoking, bombed-out office building.

Data Centers at War: The Defender’s Duty to Protect Civilians

Peacetime decisions about the location and protection of data centers may determine the risks civilians face when armed conflict erupts.
Three armed Ethiopian soldiers in camouflage uniforms, pants tucked into black boots, and wearing red berets, walk in front of sand-colored block walls, with the top of an airport terminal in the background and blue skies with puffy clouds overhead.

Ethiopia’s Fragile Peace Has Broken – But This is Not the 2020-2022 Conflict

Unlike in the previous war, Ethiopia's government faces a coalition of armed groups that could receive backing from rivals in the Horn of Africa and the Gulf.
Pope Leo, wearing a white cassock, is seen in profile, lighting candles in what looks like a black wrought iron stand, before an audience including clergy, against a backdrop of a large blue and white outline drawing of a dove of peace.

A Better Path for Peace and Security? Focus on Dignity.

Efforts to end wars and protect civilians could benefit greatly from a renewed commitment to the near-universal value of dignity.

Twenty-Five Years After 9/11, It Is Time to Repeal the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force and End the Forever War

Successive administrations have stretched the AUMF beyond any reasonable interpretation to wage worldwide war, without foreseeable end.
The building of the destroyed Shajareh Tayebeh primary school is pictured surrounded by rubble in Minab in Iran's Hormozgan province on August 10, 2026.

The Limits of the Law of Armed Conflict: Individual Accountability Should Not Obscure State Responsibility for U.S. Strikes on Iran School

The law of armed conflict is not suited to provide the legal clarity the public desires immediately following attacks that kill civilians.

9/11 Then and Now: How It Shapes Us 25 Years On

We asked experts with deep personal and professional ties to the post-9/11 era: how did 9/11 shape your path, and how does it continue to shape us 25 years later?

The Just Security Podcast: 9/11 at 25 Years: The State of U.S. National Security, Intelligence, and Alliances Today

Ryan Goodman and Tess Bridgeman are joined by Daniel Fried and Nicholas Rasmussen to discuss the enduring impact of 9/11 on U.S. counterterrorism and foreign policy.
The USS Gravely, a US Navy warship, departs the Port of Port of Spain on October 30, 2025.

America’s War on Drug Smugglers at Sea Is Unlawful—and It Is Failing

U.S. strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels mark an unlawful expansion of military force into what has long been—and should remain—a law enforcement mission.

The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part VI

Tess Bridgeman and Rachel Goldbrenner are joined by Brian Finucane and Rebecca Ingber to discuss the latest U.S. strikes against suspected drug traffickers.
The charred remains of two vehicles sit by the side of a road and another in the distance appears to be in the road, as two children look on n the foreground, against a barren brown, hilly landscape.

Domestic and Regional Pressures Strain Ethiopia’s Fragile Peace

Renewed clashes in Tigray and tensions between Ethiopia and other Horn of Africa nations threaten a regional security crisis.
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