armed groups/organized armed groups

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Woman sitting down, holding an AK-47 in her lap, in a military base hidden among the mountains in Khalifa, Erbil Province, Iraq.

The International Legal Consequences and Imprudence of U.S. Assistance to Kurdish Rebels in Iran

U.S. policies of funding rebel groups to achieve shared strategic objectives while turning a blind eye to ideology and international law has proven to be myopic time and again
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 02: U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (R) looks on as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House on December 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Expert Q&A on U.S. Military Actions in Venezuela and Boat Strikes

Expert FAQ on the U.S. military operations against Venezuela, high seas boat strikes, seizure of vessels and more.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answers questions during a press briefing

Was the Visit and Seizure of the Skipper off the Coast of Venezuela Lawful?

Experts examine the international law basis of the U.S. boarding and seizure of a vessel carrying Venezuelan crude.
A bullet proof vest carrying a patch with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) flag and a ballistic helmet are lying in an empty road that stretches into the background, alongside other personal belongings. Mountains can be seen stretching across the photo in the background.

Rwanda–DRC Peace Deal: Trump Owns It. Now What?

Trump's Rwanda-DRC peace deal inherits six months of failed implementation, unmet security commitments, and a worsening humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo.

The Law on Targeting Shipwrecked Drug Traffickers: Expert Backgrounder

Detailing how, under different scenarios, international law and U.S. past practices apply to Sept. 2 boat strike on survivors.
The U.S. Navy’s Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, including the flagship USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), left, USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), front, USS Mahan (DDG 72), back, USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), and embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight F/A-18E/F Super Hornets assigned to Strike Fighter Squadrons 31, 37, 87, and 213, operates as a joint, multi-domain force with a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, Nov. 13, 2025; transiting the Anegada Passage and entered the Caribbean Sea, Nov. 16, 2025

Operation Southern Spear: Why the Crews, Drugs, and Boats are Not Targetable

A deep dive on the international law applicable to the U.S. military's lethal operations against suspected drug boats
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrives to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on June 18, 2025 in Washington, DC.

U.S. Boat Strike Campaign: Questions Congress Should Ask Executive Branch Officials

A list of questions that should be answered by U.S. government officials regarding the lethal campaign against suspected drug trafficking individuals, groups, and vessels.
Members of Venezuelan army stand at a table showing weapons to a crowd of civilian onlookers.

As Trump Presses for a Post-Maduro Venezuela: Questions, Lessons, and Warnings for the Aftermath

As the Trump administration positions for possible military strikes, it would be wise to prepare for looming governance and stability challenges in Venezuela.
An M23 soldier watches over a group of around one hundred Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), Wazalendo and Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) fighters as they disembark a truck at the Stade de l'Unité, during their presentation by Colonel Willy Ngoma in Goma on May 10, 2025. These fighters were previously neutralised by the AFC/M23 security services. (Photo by JOSPIN MWISHA/AFP via Getty Images)

Seven Pillars of Military Integration for the DRC-Rwanda Peace Accord

These pillars outline requirements to manage armed groups and integrate them into statutory military forces during a war-to-peace transition.
A M23 soldier stands at the Coltan mining pits in Rubaya on March 5, 2025. He holds a gun. Many people seen in the background.

A Way Out of the DRC’s Proxy War

Today, ribs of gold and other essential treasures are a major driver of one of the deadliest conflicts in the world.
Olanyia Mohammed, 38, who managed to escape the massacre in his village by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in 2004 but lost 15 members of his family points at his parents names etched on the memorial for the victims of the massacre in Lukodi, Uganda, February 3, 2021. (Photo by Sumy Sadurni / AFP) (Photo by SUMY SADURNI/AFP via Getty Images)

Confirmation of Charges in Absentia for Joseph Kony: Paving the Way for Putin?

The ICC proceeding against Kony opens the door for in absentia confirmation of charges in other high-profile ICC cases, but it is a fact-specific analysis and so the prosecution…
A black colored International Law book sits with a judges gavel on top of it on desk in the library. The book's spine has "International Law" written in gold letters and the gavel is made of dark brown wood.

Assessing the Civilian and Political Institutions of Armed Non-State Actors under International Law

International law must better understand and account for the realities of civilian life in territory under armed group control.
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