Department of Defense (DoD)

× Clear Filters
285 Articles

Tweets, Trans, and the American Military

On the morning of July 26, President Donald Trump turned out a triptych of tweets taking a policy position banning transgender people from serving openly in the U.S. military.…

The “Leahy Law” Prohibiting US Assistance to Human Rights Abusers: Pulling Back the Curtain

With almost weekly news reports of US support for foreign governments with track records of gross human rights abuse—think torture in Yemen by Emirati security forces, violations…

Exclusive: White House Officials Push For Widening War in Syria Over Pentagon Objections

A pair of top White House officials is pushing to broaden the war in Syria, viewing it as an opportunity to confront Iran and its proxy forces on the ground there, according to…

Leaving the Paris Climate Agreement: A Veteran’s Perspective

Early in the summer of 2003, as we made our initial push from the Kuwaiti border up through central Iraq and then on into Anbar Province, our armored cavalry unit was not meeting…

5 Best and 5 Worst Moments from the Week’s Confirmation Hearings on US National Security Issues

The week of confirmation hearings is over, and it’s time to take stock of what we have learned from the people the President-elect has nominated to lead his administration in…
Official portrait of General James N Mattis in uniform in front of an American flag.

Questions for Confirmation Hearings for Gen. James Mattis as Secretary of Defense

Retired Gen. James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Rep. Mike…
Just Security

The Updated DoD Law of War Manual and the Precaution of Military Objective Selection

[Editor’s Note: On Tuesday, the Department of Defense released an updated version of its Law of War Manual. Just Security is hosting an online “mini forum” to discuss the…
Just Security

Defense Department Releases Second Round of Revisions for Law of War Manual

The Defense Department published new revisions to its Law of War Manual this evening. This is the second time the document has been changed since it was first released in the summer…
Just Security

“Applying the Law of Targeting to the Modern Battlefield‎” – Full Speech Given by DOD General Counsel Jennifer O’Connor

Below is the speech, “Applying the Law of Targeting to the Modern Battlefield‎,” given by Jennifer O’Connor, general counsel of the Department of Defense, tonight…

Questions for the Defense Department’s General Counsel

On Monday, Nov. 28 at 6 p.m., Jennifer O’Connor, general counsel of the Department of Defense, is giving a talk at NYU School of Law on “Applying the Law of Targeting to the…
Just Security

Technology and Autonomy in Warfare: A Consideration of the Issue by the US Defense Science Review Board

A new report from the Pentagon’s Defense Science Review Board (DSRB) provides a useful examination of the technical issues concerning the fielding of autonomous weapons. Unquestionably,…
Just Security

Must Military Medical and Religious Personnel Be Accounted for in a Proportionality Analysis?

In a recent post, Marty Lederman echoed criticisms previously leveled by Oona Hathaway about the US DOD’s Law of War Manual. The thrust of their criticism is that several Manual…
1-12 of 285 items

DON'T MISS A THING. Stay up to date with Just Security curated newsletters: