Department of Defense (DoD)
285 Articles
I Resigned from U.S. Government After My Own Leaders Began to Act Like the Autocrats I Analyzed
I have seen up close the president’s disdain for democratic values, and recent events should be put in the context of a continuous slide toward authoritarianism.... Each day,…
Getting Serious About Protecting Health Care in War
After years of indifference to examining whether its rules of engagement and other operational directives and practices contribute to the scourge of violence against health workers,…
Trump Administration’s Women, Peace and Security Plans: Blueprint for Action or Empty Promises?
The president and his officials take many actions diametrically opposed to these plans. But Congress and civil society can keep the pressure on.
DOD’s New Ex Gratia Policy: What’s Right, What’s Wrong, and What’s Next
On June 22, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued an interim policy regulation for providing ex gratia payments to civilians harmed as a result of U.S. military operations. It…
Toward a Consistent and Coherent Ex Gratia Policy for Civilian Casualties
The summer of 2017 was an extended nightmare for the Badrans. Over the course of several weeks, 39 members of Rasha Badran’s family, most of them women and children, were killed…
Patriotism and Justice on an Unusual Independence Day
Former Acting Attorney General, who served in George HW Bush and Clinton administrations and as an advisor to several Presidents, calls for officials to resist unethical directives,…
Decoy Amendment Jeopardizes the Moment for Renaming Confederate-Dubbed Bases
The measure would undermine otherwise bipartisan efforts to address these issues, including several worthy alternative proposals.
At Confederate-Named Army Bases, Highlight US Ideals By Renaming Them for Honorable Figures
The facilities should be named after accomplished figures who represent the diversity that makes the country and the Army strong. And there are plenty.
The Untold Power of Bill Barr to Direct US Military Forces in Case of “Civil Unrest”
Whether deployed against protests for racial justice or deployed to interfere with free and fair elections in November, the US military operations would be led by Bill Barr, not…
To Fix the COVID-19 Testing Gap, Take a Lesson from GM (or the Pentagon)
The chaotic state of the current COVID testing marketplace is a direct impediment to outbreak control and economic recovery. The federal government should engage in the testing…
The Fatal Flaw in DOD’s Latest Civilian Casualties Report
Lawmakers and even the Trump administration have increasingly expressed concern about the United States waging an “endless war,” and among those concerns is the impact on civilians…
Here’s What the New DoD Policy on Civilian Harm Should Include
It should standardize good practice and set the bar where it belongs: safeguarding civilian life from the effects of U.S. military operations.