Military
902 Articles
Preventing and Responding to Civilian Casualties: An Upcoming Discussion on Law, Policy, and Progress
Civilian casualties are inevitable in armed conflict. Nonetheless, international law requires armed forces to distinguish between civilians and lawful military objectives, and…
West Africa’s Democratic Progress is Slipping Away, Even as Region’s Significance Grows
Democratic norms may erode further in 2020, says Freedom House. The fundamental rights of West Africa’s nearly 400 million people are in jeopardy.
Military Space Operations and International Law
(Editor’s Note: The absence of a comprehensive analysis of the legal framework for military operations in outer space represents a troubling deficiency in the understanding of…
Norm-Skepticism in Cyberspace? Counter-Factual and Counterproductive
Leading expert on international law and cyber responds to statement by Chief of US Naval Operations, Admiral Mike Gilday on international norms in cyberspace.
Reduction of Civilian Harm in Afghanistan: A Way Forward
As all sides have jockeyed for leverage in Afghanistan, civilians have paid the price with over 10,000 civilian casualties in 2019.
For House, Senate National Security Committees, Stopgaps for Term Limits
Some alternatives to retain experience in key committee leadership for the good of congressional oversight.
When Professionalism Mattered: Dissent Against U.S. Policy on Landmines
President Trump's retaliation against principled dissenters and his jettisoning of longstanding U.S. policy on landmines converge in a look back to see how another administration…
White House ‘1264 Notice’ and Novel Legal Claims for Military Action Against Iran
"The administration’s positions amount to a fundamental revision of existing legal foundations for military action against Iran that can be undertaken by this and future presidents."
Military Justice Reform, the 2020 Pledge, and the President’s Power
A pledge by presidential candidates is necessary but more could be done. The next Congress should prioritize the independent military prosecutor measure. Failing that, a president…
Why the US Military Needs to Rethink How It Investigates Civilian Harm
A new report analyzed a total of 228 investigations into reported civilian harm in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria between 2002 and 2015.
American Policy Paralysis in the Middle East Strikes Idlib
While observers of the Middle East focus on the spiraling escalation of US-Iran tensions, a humanitarian crisis with potentially far greater consequences is rapidly unfolding in…
Afghanistan Papers, the Miniseries, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bombshell
The Washington Post describes the story as uncovering a widespread effort by U.S. officials to “conceal the truth” about the war. A close reading shows that's not the case.