International Humanitarian Law (IHL)
648 Articles
CENTCOM Improves Transparency of Yemen War Civilian Casualties, But Gaps Remain
On January 7, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) published a press release titled “CENTCOM counterterrorism strikes in Yemen 2018 rollup,” providing data on the various…
Chatham House Report on Proportionality in the Conduct of Hostilities — Some Key Elements
A synopsis of the key elements of Chatham House's report on proportionality in the conduct of hostilities, with a focus on the incidental harm to civilians and civilian objects…
Introducing Joint Symposium on Chatham House’s “Proportionality in the Conduct of Hostilities” Report
In collaboration with Chatham House and EJIL: Talk, Just Security is hosting a joint forum on Chatham House's report on proportionality in the conduct of hostilities, with analysis…
Uptick in U.S. Air Strikes on Buildings in Afghanistan Raises Questions
U.S. military aircraft bombed over 60 buildings in Afghanistan in October alone, reviving longstanding concerns that these kinds of strikes could risk higher numbers of civilian…
The Pentagon Put Someone in Charge of Its Civilian Casualty Policy. Now What?
For all the time and attention that the Defense Department has rightly spent addressing civilian casualties, no single official at the Pentagon has ever been formally charged with…
U.S. Military’s “Collective Self-Defense” of Non-State Partner Forces: What Does International Law Say?
Earlier this month, Senator Tim Kaine made public a letter he wrote to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis asking for clarification on the meaning of “collective self-defense of…
The Saudi Playbook: Self-Investigations of Civilian Deaths in Yemen and Khashoggi
We’ve been here before. Saudi Arabia has a sordid track record of announcing formal mechanisms to look into deaths of civilians at the hands of its own officers which have then…
Justice Dept Must Open Criminal Investigation Into Potential War Crimes by U.S. Mercenaries in Yemen
the Justice Dept has clear authority to investigate a band of American mercenaries for alleged killings carried out in Yemen, acts which may amount to murder or war crimes.
Many Problems with Forever War: Being Too Humane Is Not One of Them
A challenge to the notion that increasing humanity in war is a bad thing from two people who work for a non-governmental organization devoted to the protection of civilians.…
Grading the Pompeo Certification on Yemen War and Civilian Protection: Time for Serious Reconsideration
Former State Department official (stepped down in May 2017) and top expert on civilian casualties and targeting operations analyzes the State Department's certification to Congress,…
It’s a Start – Why the Global Compacts on Refugees and Migration Matter
Both documents contain significant weaknesses. But they emerge at a time of urgency and provide a route for the crucial discussions that will still be needed going forward, because…
The UK Government Needs to Learn that Secrecy is Not the Answer to Increased Litigation
Following the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, large scale deployments of British troops on combat missions seem unlikely until national memories are healed and budgets are rebalanced.…