Somalia
73 Articles
Breaking the Silence on Civilian Casualties from U.S. Air Strikes in Somalia
A new report by Amnesty International documents 14 civilian deaths and 8 injuries - none acknowledged by AFRICOM - in five U.S. air strikes in Somalia.
National Security at the United Nations This Week
Editors’ Note: Just Security is now producing a new weekly series that keeps readers up to date on developments at the United Nations at the intersection of national security,…
U.S. Lethal Operations in Somalia Are On the Rise. But Are They Effective?
A deep-rooted ideology cannot be defeated with bombs dropped from the sky. What is needed is a real shift in strategy.
From Sweeping Punishment to Real Justice in Countering Terrorism
A study led by the United Nations University that examined punitive efforts in Iraq, Nigeria, and Somalia shows that too often, nonviolent associates of terror groups who may have…
U.N. Peace Operations Should Get Off the Counter-Terror Bandwagon
There has been too little discussion of the enormous risks that counter-terrorism involvement in U.N. peace operations poses for U.N. efforts to maintain and build peace.
Somalis Harmed by Suspected Drone Strikes Demand Accountability
This article is the latest in a new series we are producing in partnership Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute that features the voices of experts and advocates from…
New Series: Perspectives from Impacted Countries
Millions of people around the world are affected by U.S. armed conflict, security, and counterterrorism policies and practices. U.S. forces regularly carry out airstrikes in Iraq,…
Preventing the Next Black Hawk Down
(Editors’ note: This article is the third of a three-part series by the author on the Trump administration’s use of special operations. Read parts I and II here and here.)…
Did U.S. Provide Helicopter Used in Attack of Somali Refugees in Yemen?
Earlier this month, a dramatic event occurred in the war in Yemen that could even shock those numbed by the continued pace of civilian casualties. A military craft and helicopter…
Correcting the Record—Further Thoughts on the Intelligence Report on Civilian Casualties
In an exchange of posts over the past few weeks about the most recent casualty figures released by the Director of National Intelligence for theaters outside areas of active hostilities,…
Reasons to Distrust Intelligence Report on Civilian Casualties
Ryan Goodman is absolutely correct in what he wrote yesterday at Just Security. I have not proved the claim he attributes to me, namely, that “there is a gross underestimation…
How Trump’s Team Can Use Obama’s Counterterrorism Playbook to Defeat al-Qa’ida and ISIL
The First of Many Challenges. The U.S. military’s January 29 raid in Yemen vividly illustrates the high-stakes challenges involved in counterterrorism operations – particularly…