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Heavily damaged building in Raqa collapse into rubble piles in the street in a photograph taken on October 21, 2017, after a Kurdish-led force expelled the Islamic State group from the northern Syrian city.

Why We Haven’t Made Progress on Civilian Protection

Three reasons for the lack of progress on reducing civilian casualties: We don’t learn, we don’t lead, and we don’t help our partners—or hold them to a high enough standard.
Prosthetic legs are stacked against a wall with a mirror in the therapy room at the ICRC Orthopedic Center on October 1 2019 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Some of the prosthetics wear sandals or sneakers and others are barefoot.

The Progress Not Made on Protecting Civilians  

I was recently asked to reflect on the progress the United States has made on civilian protection after two decades of war and counterterrorism operations since 9/11. I got down…
Local elderly residents take shelter in the basement of an undisclosed church on October 12, 2020 in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh. Boxes and blankets are placed in piles on the floor and there are a few chairs and benches on which people sit. A person walks past the camera using a walking cane.

Power Politics Obstructs Protection of Civilians in — and After — the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Five measures that Azerbaijan and Armenia, along with Russia, Turkey, and the international community must take now to improve conditions.
Russian nuclear missile rolls along Red Square during the military parade marking the 75th anniversary of Nazi defeat, on June 24, 2020 in Moscow, Russia. The requirement to wear masks and gloves to combat a spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is still in effect in Moscow, but none of the military members lined up wear face masks.

The Demise of Arms Control Extends Far Beyond Nuclear Weapons

Bilateral and multilateral mechanisms are disintegrating amid tech advances, and “grey zones” below military conflict thresholds are ripe for exploitation.
U.S. Army (retired) General Lloyd Austin speaks after being formally nominated to be Secretary of the Department of Defense by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden at the Queen Theatre on December 09, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. Behind him is a banner with the seal of the President-Elect.

What Should Be Addressed in Austin’s Confirmation Hearing for Defense Secretary?

Some of the top defense experts and thinkers offer their thoughts on what issues they’d like to see addressed and what questions they’d like to see asked at retired Gen. Lloyd…
(FILES) Supporters of US President Donald Trump wear gas masks and military-style apparel as they walk around inside the Rotunda after breaching the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 6, 2021.

Military Personnel and the Putsch at the U.S. Capitol

If active duty, reserve, retired, or former military personnel participated in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, how should they be held accountable? Courts martial may be available for…
U.S. Capitol police officers point their guns at a barricaded door that was vandalized in the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress on January 06, 2021 in Washington, D.C. Insurrectionists peek through the window of the door, which is broken.

Tragedy at the Capitol: Four Questions that Demand Answers

How can the U.S. Capitol, surrounded by one of the largest concentrations of law enforcement and national security personnel in the world, be so quickly overrun?
Members of the National Guard, holding shields, form a line during the night of January 6. Behind them is the Capitol building.

Why D.C.’s Mayor Should Have Authority Over the D.C. National Guard

Congress should give the mayor of D.C. control over the D.C. National Guard, absent federalization, to prevent the president both from misusing the DCNG as his own personal army…
Trump

Can a Pardon Be a War Crime?: When Pardons Themselves Violate the Laws of War

Editor’s note: Originally published on May 25, 2019; with an author’s note published on Dec. 24, 2020. Author’s note, Dec. 24, 2020: Not all corrupt pardons…
U.S. Army SSG. Tyler Laliberte embraces his family after returning from a 9-month deployment to Afghanistan on December 10, 2020 at Fort Drum, New York.

Military Families are Gunning for Peace this Holiday Season

I share my family’s story to underline the urgency behind avoiding war with Iran. We’ve become a nation that engages in wars of choice. We cannot continue down this current…

Invoking Martial Law to Reverse the 2020 Election Could be Criminal Sedition

In his increasingly desperate bid to hang on to the White House, President Trump is reportedly contemplating invoking martial law to force the invalidation of the results of the…
Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander, U.S. Forces-Iraq receives the command colors from U.S. Marine Gen. Gen. James N. Mattis, commander, U.S. Central Command at the USF-I change of command ceremony in Baghdad, Iraq on Sept. 1, 2010. Other military members stand around them.

Shifting Norms About Secretary of Defense Has Long-Term Consequences: On the Austin Nomination

Even if retired Gen. Lloyd Austin handles the job of defense secretary perfectly, his nomination alone still has long-term consequences, eroding the norm of civilian control by…
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