International Humanitarian Law (IHL)
641 Articles
At a Crossroad: The Int’l Criminal Court’s Afghanistan Probe and the International Law Commission
This piece is the latest in our online symposium–spearheaded by Professor Laura Dickinson–focusing on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe in Afghanistan and its…
Kurdish-Held Detainees in Syria Are Not in a “Legal Gray Area”
Kurdish troops from the Syrian Democratic Forces stand in a forward operating base overlooking the frontline near the ISIL-held town of Hole in Rojava, Syria. (Photo by John Moore/Getty…
Is the United States a Party to the Conflict Between the Saudi-Led Coalition and the Houthis?
Photo: A U.S.-made Saudi F-15. Image: Meteb Ali via Wikimedia Commons. This is piece is the latest article in our forum on the Yemen crisis and the law. Under international law,…
Syria, Chemical Weapons, and a Qualitative Threshold for Humanitarian Intervention
An improved legal framework using a qualitative threshold—legitimizing humanitarian intervention against regimes that use chemical and biological weapons (CBW) on civilians—can…
Another Airstrike in Kunduz, and More Civilian Deaths
Once again, airstrikes targeting insurgent leaders in Afghanistan have killed and injured dozens of civilians. On the morning of April 2, Afghan government forces attacked the…
Civilian Casualties: We Need Better Estimates—Not Just Better Numbers
The Pentagon could do a better job reducing civilian casualties in wartime. Here's how.
The Saudi War in Yemen Is Strengthening Terrorism
Saudi Arabia’s U.S.-backed military campaign in Yemen not only drives the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, but also deepens the terrorist threat to the U.S. And American…
When Does the Legal Basis for U.S. Forces in Syria Expire?
The State Department announced earlier this year that the “full and complete defeat of ISIS” is a necessary condition for ending U.S. military operations in Syria. But Senators…
Just Security Podcast: Daphne Eviatar on Military Targeting under Trump
The sharp uptick in civilian casualties from U.S. military operations across the world under President Trump has alarmed human rights lawyers, who say the legal standards for targeting…
The Lesson the Trump Administration has Failed to Learn about Yemen
Both the Trump and Obama administrations have advanced two fictions over the last three years to obscure U.S. complicity in Yemen’s humanitarian catastrophe. From former Secretary…
A Year On, Fog of War Not Lifting Over Deadly Raqqa Strikes
In March 2017, a U.S.-led coalition aircraft struck a boarding school in Mansourah, Syria, completely destroying it. Since then, the coalition has maintained that the building…
Doe v. Mattis: Is the War on ISIS Legal?
Many members of Congress, including those who voted for the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs, feel they haven’t authorized the current fight against ISIS. Unless the executive branch prolongs…