Department of Defense (DoD)
291 Articles
The 116th Congress’s Record on International Human Rights: The Good, the Bad, and the Unfinished Business
Action and inaction on Uyghurs, Yemen, the Rohingya, asylum seekers, Venezuela, and more highlight the crises facing the next Congress.
Shaky Hands in the Oval Office
Like another president's illness, Trump's bout with COVID-19 exposes the risks of a personalized foreign policy that dismisses national security structures.
Military Medical Ethics and Dr. Conley’s Misrepresentations of the President’s Health
"To witness military physicians bending or burying the truth does long-lasting damage to the confidence required for the system to work."
DOD Inspector General’s Report Whitewashes Potential Violations of the Posse Comitatus Act
In finding no violation of Posse Comitatus Act, the IG misinterprets federal law and exaggerates the power of DOD policy — creating a dangerous precedent for the domestic use…
Finding the Right U.S. Defense Leaders
Military experience should not be a litmus test for a senior civilian position in the Defense Department, but it should not be a disqualifier either.
A Military Litmus Test? Evaluating the Argument that Civilian Defense Leaders Need Military Experience
There are several reasons to reject blanket assertions that military service acts as a general qualifier for running or contributing to national security affairs in non-military…
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,…