Law of War Manual

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69 Articles

Getting Serious About Protecting Health Care in War

After years of indifference to examining whether its rules of engagement and other operational directives and practices contribute to the scourge of violence against health workers,…
Yemeni fighters loyal to the country's exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi ride a tank past a destroyed building during clashes with Shiite Huthi rebels in the country's third-city of Taez on May 30, 2019.

The UN Yemen Report and Siege Warfare

Following the UN Human Rights Council report on Yemen, experts provide detailed analysis of how international humanitarian law rules on starvation, proportionality, and precautions…
American Army members deployed for Mission Resolute Support (RS) take part in an end of tour medal ceremony at RS Headquarters on September 4, 2017 in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Army and Marine Corps Publish New Manual: The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Land Warfare

The Army and the Marine Corps just released its newest publication, The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Land Warfare. Over 20 years in the making, it provides operational…

A Critique of Defense Dept General Counsel Ney’s Remarks on the Law of War

"The law of war applies equally to U.S. forces and to ISIS, to Syria and to Russia. We should keep that in mind when we hear Ney recite Lieber’s dictum, 'The more vigorously…
Marines raise guns to enter a building.

Human Rights Law and U.S. Military Operations in Foreign Countries: The Prohibition on Arbitrary Deprivation of Life

The view that the U.S. government does not accept that international human rights law applies to US activities in foreign countries is mistaken., writes Goodman. The Department…

U.S. Law of War and Israeli Occupation: Why Enforcing International Norms in the Middle East Matters to the U.S.

Donald Trump used his first international trip as president to visit three of the holiest sites of the world’s three major monotheistic religions. He also used the trip to signal…

U.S. Arms Sale to Saudis Spells Legal Trouble for State Department Officials

In December, the Obama administration suspended a large weapon sale to Saudi Arabia due to concerns about widespread civilian casualties from Saudi airstrikes in Yemen. The Trump…
Just Security

New Symposium Scholarship on Human Shields

We have covered on these pages the legal and moral issues surrounding the use of human shields in contemporary armed conflict situations. The American Society of International…

How to Read the Department of Defense’s Revised Law of War Manual

Last week, the Department of Defense released a revised version of its Law of War Manual, making significant changes to one section: “Proportionality in Conducting Attacks.”…
Just Security

The Defense Dept’s Law of War Manual: “Exempt” Military Objects and Investigations’ Positive Feedback Loop

Several revisions in the amended U.S. Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual address what military objects might be excluded from a strike list, and what investigations should…
Just Security

Thoughts on Distinction and Proportionality in the December 2016 Revision to the Law of War Manual

The new revisions to the DoD Law of War Manual that the Department of Defense released last week are welcome in several respects.  Four improvements are especially noteworthy:…
Just Security

A Squarable Circle?: The Revised DoD Law of War Manual and the Challenge of Human Shields

In a new update to its Law of War (LoW) Manual, the U.S. Department of Defense kept its promise to be, as the DoD General Counsel (GC) Hon. Jennifer O’Connor reiterated at NYU…
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