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Military unmanned aerial vehicle at sunset.

Death by Drones: Does the Pentagon Always Know Who it is Killing?

As U.S. officials grapple with the fallout from the latest drone strike, Congress and senior administration officials should demand answers.
An officer of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) takes part in an operation against Amazon deforestation at an illegal mining camp, known as garimpo, at the Yanomami territory in Roraima State, Brazil

The U.S. Military Can Help Save the Amazon

The U.S. military should partner with Brazilian forces to counter illegal deforestation that is contributing to climate change.
A security guard walks through a mass grave site in a large agricultural area known as Mashrou al-Rabet in Meji on September 27, 2021 in Tarhuna, Libya. Tarhuna city was a previous stronghold for the Al-Kani militia affiliated with warlord Khalifa Haftar. From June 2021, following the defeat of Haftar's forces in the western areas of Libya, the Libyan government found 193 dead bodies and had identified 96 of them, in mass graves in Tarhuna and south of Tripoli. (Photo by Nada Harib/Getty Images)

The Global Fragility Act Takes Another Step Toward Conflict Prevention, But Bigger Strides Remain

Conflict prevention routinely takes a back seat to immediate crises, and will require resources and attention to legal and bureaucratic gaps.
(L-R) FBI Director Christopher Wray, Director of the National Security Agency Gen. Paul Nakasone, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, and CIA Director William Burns testify during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing concerning worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill March 8, 2023 in Washington, DC. The leaders of the intelligence agencies testified on a wide range of issues, including China, Covid-19 origins, and TikTok. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

To Strengthen US National Security, Diverse Teams Should Be a Given

The field shows important signs of critical gains but also more work to do to elevate women, particularly women of color.
U.S. Special Operations Commander Gen. Bryan Fenton, Assistant Defense Secretary for Special Operations Christopher Maier and Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, sit in at tables to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Congress Should Limit, Not Expand, Irregular Warfare Authority

Section 1202 of the NDAA is an overbroad authority that risks widening the aperture for U.S. forces to engage in and direct combat in unauthorized, foreign wars.
CAMP SHORAB, AFGHANISTAN - SEPTEMBER 11: A U.S. Army helicopter flies outside of Camp Shorab on a flight to Camp Post on September 11, 2017 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. About 300 marines are currently deployed in Helmand Province in a train, advise, and assist role supporting local Afghan security forces. Currently the United States has about 11,000 troops in the deployed in Afghanistan, with a reported 4,000 more expected to arrive in the coming weeks. Last month, President Donald Trump announced his plan for Afghanistan which called for an increase in troop numbers and a new conditions-based approach to the war, getting rid of a timetable for the withdrawal of American forces in the country. (Photo by Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images)

Opaque Transparency on the Use of Force: Observations on the 2022 “1264” Report

The 2022 report illustrates the limits of congressionally mandated reporting requirements on matters of war and peace and the need for Congress to be more proactive in informing…

The US Needs a Strategy for (Human) Security Cooperation

The result is a frequent perception of enabling rights abuses and atrocities committed by foreign military partners.
A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter takes off at sunset while transporting American troops out of a remote combat outpost known as RLZ on May 25, 2021 near the Turkish border in northeastern Syria.

The Limits of Remote Warfare: Aligning Values with Interests

The Biden administration should be more circumspect in its reliance on lethal force as a foreign policy tool outside of traditional war zones.
An American flag hangs on a wall behind barbed wire.

Twenty-One Years On, US Detention at Guantánamo Bay Remains Unconscionable

"The prison continues to cause profound and escalating damage to the aging and increasingly ill men still detained indefinitely there, most without charge and none having received…

Under the Pentagon’s New Civilian Harm Action Plan, Addressing Credible Cases is a Moral Imperative

If the new CHMR-AP is to have a meaningful impact, it must address families making requests of the Pentagon now.

Incremental Progress on Civilian Harm in the FY2023 National Defense Bill

The NDAA includes much-needed measures to prevent and respond to civilian harm resulting from U.S. military operations abroad.
TOPSHOT - An art mural of slain US-Palestinian correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh is pictured at a section of Israel's separation fence between Jerusalem and the city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on December 6, 2022. - The United States said today it opposed Al Jazeera taking the killing of Palestinian-American reporter Shireen Abu Akleh to the International Criminal Court, renewing objections to investigations involving Israel. Al Jazeera submitted the case of slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh to the International Criminal Court, saying the veteran reporter was deliberately killed by Israeli forces. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)

Shireen Abu Akleh’s Killing Raises Questions about U.S. Security Assistance to Israel

U.S. officials should ensure the Leahy laws are applied consistently to all countries, including Israel.
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