Law of War Manual
85 Articles
Defense Dept Law of War Manual and Its Unintended Readings: On Civilians Assuming Risk of Harm
The Manual risks creating a false impression that is not intended by the senior Defense Department leadership who produced the Manual — a problem that could significantly undervalue…
The Prohibition on Indiscriminate Attacks: The US Position vs. the DoD Law of War Manual
Timely analysis especially given recent U.S. government condemnations of Russia's indiscriminate attacks in Ukraine.
Clear Error in the Defense Department’s Law of War Manual: On Presumptions of Civilian Status
This article is the first in a new project at Just Security that assesses the U.S. Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual with a goal of providing constructive opportunities…
The Al-Qurayshi Operation and Minimization of Civilian Casualties
US officials’ emphasis on minimization of civilian casualties in an operation against such a high value target deserves special attention.
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…