Military
804 Articles
Pentagon Admits Major Investigation Flaw: They Rarely Talk to Air Strike Witnesses or Victims
In a transcript of a Pentagon Press Briefing, released this week by Airwars, Central Command’s Deputy Director for Operations made a striking admission about U.S. investigations…
The “Leahy Law” Prohibiting US Assistance to Human Rights Abusers: Pulling Back the Curtain
With almost weekly news reports of US support for foreign governments with track records of gross human rights abuse—think torture in Yemen by Emirati security forces, violations…
Leaving the Paris Climate Agreement: A Veteran’s Perspective
Early in the summer of 2003, as we made our initial push from the Kuwaiti border up through central Iraq and then on into Anbar Province, our armored cavalry unit was not meeting…
Yemeni Human Rights Activist Radhya Al-Mutawakel’s Speech to the UN Security Council
Yesterday, leading human rights defender Radhya Almutawakel, the Chairperson of the Yemeni NGO, Mwatana Organization for Human Rights, briefed the UN Security Council on the war…
Protecting Civilians through Wartime Investigations: Applying the 2016 Minnesota Protocol When it Matters Most
It is highly important to have internationally recognized standards in investigating and prosecuting “potentially unlawful deaths”—an issue that is well recognized in the…
Restating the Law on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death: The 2016 Minnesota Protocol
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva (OHCHR) on 24 May 2017 announced the release of the 2016 Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of…
A Few Good Generals: The Dangers of Serving in the Trump Administration
Amidst all of the confusion, the lies, and the damaged norms of the Trump administration, one of the best hopes for good governance has been tied to a handful of respected, trusted…
When is a Mercenary (Not) a Mercenary? The Case of Foreign Fighters in the UAE’s Military
When the going gets tough, politics tends to trump law, and words start to lose meaning. You can see it in the culture of sloppiness and misdirection that has developed around…
Trump’s Army Secretary Nominee Does Not Embody Army Value of Respect
The Army inspires its soldiers to embody certain values. Chief among them is the idea that all members of the team should be appreciated for their contributions, dedication to…
Changes to Rules of Engagement Approval Levels and Civilian Casualties
Anyone serious about combating ISIS and minimizing civilian casualties needs to consider the importance of the Rules of Engagement (ROE) in Iraq and Syria. We offer our thoughts…
U.S. Military Justice and “Operational Mishaps”: A Primer
As the tempo and intensity of United States military operations increases, the likelihood of operational mishaps increases as well. These mishaps – an anodyne term that cannot…
Making Sense of the Allegations that U.S. Military Struck a Mosque in Syria
There are now two very different competing pictures about whether the United States mistakenly struck a mosque in Syria on the night of March 16, 2017. On one view, based on three…