Syria
553 Articles
What’s the Mission in Syria? The Answer May be Illegal and Without U.S. Allies’ Support
Statements about a US "peacekeeping" force and a mission to counter-Iran raise serious legal questions and threaten to unravel U.S. allies' support for future U.S. operations inside…
National Security at the United Nations This Week
Trump continues his search for a US Ambassador to the UN, the Minsk Accords are in trouble, Yemen sees progress in implementation of the Stockholm Agreement, and more.
When Human Trafficking and Terrorism Connect: Dangers and Dilemmas
The increasing emphasis at the UN and elsewhere on the connections between terrorism and human trafficking raises complex legal and policy issues, including how to determine whether…
So This Is What Congress’ Getting Involved in Foreign Affairs Looks Like
Analysts and scholars have long wondered what it would look like if Congress reasserted itself in foreign affairs. It’s a role that Just Security Founding Editor (and my former…
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Does the McConnell amendment provide a justification for military operations against Iran?
The Senate’s rebuke of President Trump announcing a precipitous withdrawal from Syria creates dangerous ambiguity as to whether confronting Iran should be considered part of…
Bringing ISIS to Justice: Running Out of Time?
The international community and key actors in Syria and Iraq need to develop a coherent plan to bring ISIS members to account for war crimes, not just counterterrorism crimes,…
Norms Watch: Damage to Democracy and Rule of Law in January 2019
Welcome to the latest installment of Norms Watch, our series tracking both the flouting of democratic norms by the Trump administration and the erosion of those norms in reactions…
Syria Found Liable for the Death of War Correspondent Marie Colvin
Judge Amy Berman Jackson, of the D.C. District Court, has unsealed a $302 million judgment against the Syrian Arab Republic, finding it liable for the assassination of intrepid…
If Trump’s Syria and Afghanistan Decisions Seem Bad, Imagine What He’d Do in a Crisis
National security advisors for presidents of both parties have developed a process over 70 years to optimize decision-making. That's particularly critical in those moments of extraordinary…
Could U.S. Withdrawal from Syria Lead to War Between Russia and Turkey?
"With the United States out of Syria it is hard to see how Russia and Turkey do not rapidly find themselves at loggerheads – either because Russia is unable to protect Turkey’s…
UN Review Should Help Children Caught in ISIS Conflict
The U.N. Security Council should use Thursday’s Counter-Terrorism Committee meeting to begin swiftly amending the 2015 Madrid Guiding Principles to spell out member countries’…
How Dangerous—and How New—Is the Defense Department’s “Collective Self-Defense” Theory?
The Defense Department’s reliance on a broad interpretation of “collective self-defense” appears to authorize military operations further removed from congressional approval…