Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC)
688 Articles

The International Law Obligation to Investigate the Boat Strikes
Operation Southern Spear’s lethal boat strikes are unlawful under IHRL and, even on the administration’s own terms, trigger binding LOAC and DoD duties to investigate.

The Law on Targeting Shipwrecked Drug Traffickers: Expert Backgrounder
Detailing how, under different scenarios, international law and U.S. past practices apply to Sept. 2 boat strike on survivors.

Why a Ukraine-Russia Amnesty Would Violate Geneva Convention Obligations
An amnesty in any future peace plan would be unlawful and a moral abdication of the pursuit of accountability for victims in Russia's war in Ukraine.

History and International Law Proscribe Amnesties for Russian War Crimes
Compromising on prosecutions for Russian atrocities would erode the system of international justice built since Nuremberg and undermine the rule of law itself.

Operation Southern Spear: Why the Crews, Drugs, and Boats are Not Targetable
A deep dive on the international law applicable to the U.S. military's lethal operations against suspected drug boats

U.S. Boat Strike Campaign: Questions Congress Should Ask Executive Branch Officials
A list of questions that should be answered by U.S. government officials regarding the lethal campaign against suspected drug trafficking individuals, groups, and vessels.

The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part IV
Co-hosted with RCLS, a panel of experts discuss the Trump administration's continued campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers.

Killing Shipwrecked Survivors is Not Just Illegal—It Endangers U.S. Servicemembers
If the United States chooses a path where killing defenseless survivors becomes acceptable, American servicemembers will pay the price for that choice.

Professional Responsibility and the Boat Strikes
Legal and ethical debates surge around unreleased OLC memo on lethal boat strikes in the Caribbean, with growing calls for transparency and scrutiny of military lawyers.

Unlawful Orders and Killing Shipwrecked Boat Strike Survivors: An Expert Backgrounder
An expert backgrounder on the reported Hegseth "no quarter" order to kill everyone aboard a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean on Sept. 2.

Hypothetical Legal Review of Narcotrafficking Strikes
A mock “operational legal review” depicting what a staff judge advocate’s advice should have been prior to the first reported strike on an alleged drug trafficking vessel.

U.S. Saber Rattling and Venezuela: Lawful Show of Force or Unlawful Threat of Force?
Clearly, U.S. actions are threatening to Venezuela. But do they amount to an unlawful threat under international law, or are they merely a lawful show of force?