Civilian-Military Relations

Justice Will Be Crucial to a New Deal in Sudan

Sudanese politicians and military leaders are making a second serious attempt at negotiating a path toward civilian rule and democracy.

Jan. 20, 2023 Jehanne Henry

Military police in full riot gear are pictured near Lafayette Park ahead of President Trump's trip to St. John's Church in Washington DC on June 1, 2020, where protesters were tear gassed.

Without Congressional Action, Lafayette Square and January 6th Can Happen Again

"Two amendments in the House-passed FY23 NDAA would close ... loopholes and make it harder for another Trump administration – or any future president – to abuse the powers…

Nov. 16, 2022 Ariela Rosenberg and Soren Dayton

(L to R front row) General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo "Hemeti", deputy chairman of Sudan's Sovereignty Council, speaks with council chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan during a reception ceremony in the capital Khartoum on October 8, 2020 upon the arrival of the government negotiating team from Juba where the government and rebel groups had earlier signed a landmark peace deal. - Sudan's government and rebel groups had on October 3 signed a peace deal at a ceremony in the South Sudanese capital Juba, aimed at ending decades of war in which hundreds of thousands have died. (Photo by Ebrahim HAMID / AFP) (Photo by EBRAHIM HAMID/AFP via Getty Images)

Anti-Coup Strategies Should Address Civilian Coup Allies

A robust anti-coup strategy must place the same pressures on civilian collaborators that military coup leaders face.

Jul. 20, 2022 Salah Ben Hammou and Avery Reyna

Acting US Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell whispers in US Vice President Mike Pence's ear as US President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 4, 2020. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

US Democracy’s Survival Requires a More Powerful Response to January 6th

Team Trump's shocking efforts to manipulate government institutions to overturn the 2020 election results echo despots abroad.

Jul. 15, 2022 Douglas London

A Transitional Period Constitutional Question in Sudan

Sudan's military derailed a transition to civilian control in October. The former Minister of Justice takes a deep dive into the legal ambiguity in key founding documents that…

Feb. 16, 2022 Nasredeen Abdulbari

Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (L) speaks with his Belarus counterpart Viktor Khrenin (R) prior to a meeting with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenka in Minsk on February 3, 2022. The United States said on February 2, 2022 it was deploying thousands of troops to bolster NATO forces in eastern Europe, ratcheting up its military response to fears that Russia could invade Ukraine, as tensions have been further aggravated by plans for joint military exercises between Russia and neighboring Belarus, where Washington claims Moscow is preparing to send 30,000 troops. (Photo by MAXIM GUCHEK/BELTA/AFP via Getty Images)

Retired Russian Generals Criticize Putin Over Ukraine, Renew Call for His Resignation

Censors haven't yet blocked the rhetorical attack from the assembly of hardline veterans, giving the message space and time to spread.

Feb. 9, 2022 Anders Åslund

2022 Update: Good Governance Paper No. 6: Domestic Military Operations

At one-year mark of Biden administration, top experts revisit proposals to restore and promote nonpartisan principles of good government.

Jan. 25, 2022 Mark Nevitt

U.S. President George W. Bush meets with former and current Secretaries of State and Defense in the Roosevelt Room of the White House May 12, 2006 in Washington, DC. Clockwise from bottom left are former Secretary of State Warren Christopher, former Secretary of State James Baker, Former Secretary of State Alexander Haig, former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, former Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger, former Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci, former Secretary of Defense William Cohen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney, President Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

A Soldier and His Establishment: In the Life of Colin Powell, Who Failed Whom?

The question to ask is not what he should have done differently, but what, if anything, his life suggests we should do differently.

Nov. 5, 2021 Heather Hurlburt

Sudan's top army general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan holds a press conference at the General Command of the Armed Forces in Khartoum on October 26, 2021.

Sudan’s Constitutional Crisis: Dissecting the Coup Declaration

Suspending certain articles while retaining parts of the transitional deal cloaks a unilateral power-grab as merely a course correction.

Nov. 3, 2021 Sami Abdelhalim Saeed

Tunisian soldiers part of the UN peacekeeping Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) depart a plane at Banguis airport on September 21, 2021. Some wear masks, others do not. Two greet each other in a fist bump.

How the UN Can Strengthen its Peacekeeping Mission in the Central African Republic Amid a Changed Conflict

A Security Council divided over rights violations by Russian paramilitaries must maintain civilian protection as a priority.

Oct. 20, 2021 Viola Giuliano and Josh Jorgensen

Former General Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump’s recently pardoned national security adviser, gives a thumbs up as he departs a protest of the outcome of the 2020 presidential election outside the Supreme Court on December 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. Trump supporters walk around him. Most, including Flynn, do not wear face masks.

What To Do About Lt. General (retired) Flynn: Military Justice and Civil-Military Relations Considerations

Flynn's recent conduct has raised new questions about retiree court-martial jurisdiction. Yevgeny Vindman and Dan Maurer make the legal and policy argument for a court-martial.…

Jun. 11, 2021 Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman and Daniel Maurer

Silhouettes of ROTC cadets against a clear blue sky with clouds.

What Do Future U.S. Generals Think About Dissent, Disobedience, and Resignation?

Survey research suggests respect for civilian-control appears to be the exception, not the norm, among a significant portion of the senior military officers who participated.

May 28, 2021 Steven Katz