Department of Defense (DoD)

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Secretary Blinken Visits the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service Command Center. People wear face masks as they stand near desks with five to seven computer screens in semicircles.

Letting Diplomacy Lead US Counterterrorism: What Would That Look Like?

The goal should be to establish diplomacy and aid as co-equal tools, to make counterterrorism more comprehensive, sustainable and, eventually, less violent.
Sargent Forrest Huckabey from Neodesha, Kansas with the U.S. Army's 2nd Battalion 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division stands guard with a gun in front of a billboard which encourages women to vote in Afghanistan's April 5th presidential election during a patrol outside of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Shank on March 29, 2014 near Pul-e Alam, Afghanistan.

Women, Peace, and Security: Is DOD Turning a Human Rights Corner?

The push to protect women and girls in conflict and involve women in security decision-making increases attention to human rights in military operations.
Members of the Wayuu ethnic group watch as a US army helicopter arrives for a joint exercise in the "Tres Bocas" area, northern Colombia, on the border with Venezuela, on March 13, 2020. The helicopter kicks up a large wall of dust that is taller than the people standing nearby.

Give Local Civil Society a Say in U.S. Security Assistance

Certain guidelines can help in navigating the challenges of creating a more prominent and consistent role for those who stand to gain or lose most.
The detainee hospital's operating room is seen in Camp Delta which is part of the U.S. military prison for 'enemy combatants' on June 26, 2013 in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Why Guantánamo Detainees Should Have Access to COVID Vaccines Part II: Federal Law and DoD Policies

In addition to a violation of the law of armed conflict and unsound policy, there's another reason the DOD's decision to suspend vaccination plans for Guantánamo detainees is…
Heavily damaged building in Raqa collapse into rubble piles in the street in a photograph taken on October 21, 2017, after a Kurdish-led force expelled the Islamic State group from the northern Syrian city.

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.
U.S. Army (retired) General Lloyd Austin speaks after being formally nominated to be Secretary of the Department of Defense by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden at the Queen Theatre on December 09, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. Behind him is a banner with the seal of the President-Elect.

What Should Be Addressed in Austin’s Confirmation Hearing for Defense Secretary?

Some of the top defense experts and thinkers offer their thoughts on what issues they’d like to see addressed and what questions they’d like to see asked at retired Gen. Lloyd…
Pro-democracy protesters hold up a sign showing a meme of U.S. President Elect Joe Biden and "No 112" on them during a rally at the Nonthaburi Police Station on December 08, 2020 in Bangkok, Thailand.

US Human Rights Policy: How to Really Build Back Better

The Biden administration must create a system in which human rights and democracy policymaking is embedded and integrated in its decision-making machinery.
(FILES) Supporters of US President Donald Trump wear gas masks and military-style apparel as they walk around inside the Rotunda after breaching the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 6, 2021.

Military Personnel and the Putsch at the U.S. Capitol

If active duty, reserve, retired, or former military personnel participated in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, how should they be held accountable? Courts martial may be available for…
Acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller address media at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. November 17, 2020.

Pentagon Moves Undermine Counterterrorism Strategy

Instead of acquiescing to the whims of a lame-duck president, Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller should insist upon maintaining sufficient capability to prevent the resurgence…
U.S. Army SSG. Tyler Laliberte embraces his family after returning from a 9-month deployment to Afghanistan on December 10, 2020 at Fort Drum, New York.

Military Families are Gunning for Peace this Holiday Season

I share my family’s story to underline the urgency behind avoiding war with Iran. We’ve become a nation that engages in wars of choice. We cannot continue down this current…

Invoking Martial Law to Reverse the 2020 Election Could be Criminal Sedition

In his increasingly desperate bid to hang on to the White House, President Trump is reportedly contemplating invoking martial law to force the invalidation of the results of the…
Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander, U.S. Forces-Iraq receives the command colors from U.S. Marine Gen. Gen. James N. Mattis, commander, U.S. Central Command at the USF-I change of command ceremony in Baghdad, Iraq on Sept. 1, 2010. Other military members stand around them.

Shifting Norms About Secretary of Defense Has Long-Term Consequences: On the Austin Nomination

Even if retired Gen. Lloyd Austin handles the job of defense secretary perfectly, his nomination alone still has long-term consequences, eroding the norm of civilian control by…
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