International Humanitarian Law (IHL)

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A black and white photograph of the First International Peace Conference in the Hague. Men sit in rows at desks in a horseshoe shape. Art covers the walls.

Oh, the Humanity

Reviewing Samuel Moyn, Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, September 2021), 416 pp. Samuel Moyn’s new book…
A Yemeni man looks at graffiti protesting against US drone strikes on September 19, 2018 in Sana'a, Yemen.

Embedding Gender in International Humanitarian Law: Is Artificial Intelligence Up to the Task?

The laws of war can sanction uses of force with gendered consequences. Encoding IHL principles into AI systems may reinforce - or correct for - these disparate impacts.
Members of the Amhara militia, that combat alongside federal and regional forces against northern region of Tigray, ride on the back of a pick up truck in the city of Gondar, on 08 November 2020.

Famine in Tigray, Humanitarian Access, and the War Crime of Starvation

The siege of Tigray has deprived civilians of critical aid - is it a war crime?
A US Predator unmanned drone armed with a missile stands on the tarmac of Kandahar military airport on June 13, 2010.

Extraterritorial Counterterrorism: Policymaking v. Law

The Biden administration's counterterrorism policy review is a crucial moment to evaluate the role of law versus policy and an opportunity to narrow the scope of the “ongoing…
South Korean soldiers remove landmines inside of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on October 2, 2018 in Cheorwon, South Korea.

Undermining Norms? How the Antipersonnel Mine Ban Has Endured in US Policy

The Trump shift became more notable for what it did not lead to than for what it did. Now Biden has a chance to set US policy on the side of humanity.
Afghan villagers search for dead bodies of persons who were killed in a NATO airstrike on a home in Sajawand village in Logar province south of Kabul on June 6, 2012.

How US-Funded Abuses Led to Failure in Afghanistan

The primary and defining characteristic of the armed conflict in Afghanistan over the last two decades has been harm to civilians caused by massive human rights abuses and war…
Coalition Force service members set up a perimeter under the cover of darkness on the edge of Shurakian in Helmand province. The image is taken through a green night vision lens and multiple vehicles are shown.

Ending the Forever War, But Leaving a Legacy of Impunity in Afghanistan

The international military forces withdrawing from Afghanistan leave behind a legacy of impunity that threatens to undermine hopes for peace and justice in Afghanistan for years…
A pillar of smoke rises among destroyed buildings after a US-led airstrike in Mosul. July 9, 2017

Toward a True Account of Collateral Damage in U.S. Military Operations

The Pentagon reports annually on how many civilians were killed in U.S. operations, but silent on damage to civilian homes, markets and other civilian infrastructure vital to human…
A displaced Syrian family breaks their fast together for the sunset "iftar" meal during Ramadan. They sit in the middle of the rubble of their destroyed home. May 4, 2020, Ariha, Idlib province

The UN Has Options Beyond the Security Council for Cross-Border Aid to Syria

Security Council approval for cross-border aid expires July 10. Can the UN continue aid operations without Council authorization?
A 3D hologram of the globe with circles and grids laid over to indicate communications and technology.

The Sixth United Nations GGE and International Law in Cyberspace

Top expert analysis of the much-anticipated report that provides consensus views among key States on the application of international law to cyberspace.
Officials inspect the damaged Karbala airport in the Iraqi shrine city, one of the areas targeted by US military air strikes. March 13, 2020

A Legacy of Unrecognized Harm: DoD’s 2020 Civilian Casualties Report 

The Pentagon report appears to defy the congressional requirement to report on civilian casualties “that were confirmed, or reasonably suspected, to have resulted in civilian…
Masked fighters with the National Resistance Brigades (NRB), the military wing of the Democracy Front Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), speak to members of the press in front of the ruins of the al-Jalaa tower which hosted the offices of the news agency Associated Press and the Aljazeera English channel, destroyed by Israeli strikes during the recent confrontations between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City on May 23, 2021. They wear head gear and face masks that cover their entire faces except the eyes. A flag is draped over a podium with microphones. The fighters carry large guns.

The IDF Attack on Al Jalaa Tower: Criticisms Are Correct on the Law, But Mistaken in Applying It

A response to Professor Adil Haque's influential analysis.
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