Targeted Killing
241 Articles

The Aftermath of the Haniyeh Killing: How to Avoid a New Middle East War
Expert analysis of the Ismail Haniyeh killing and prospects for avoiding a wider war in the Middle East.

Bad for the Goose, Bad for the Gander: Drone Attacks in Russia Underscore Broader Risks
Recent drone attacks in Russia highlight legal and policy risks that must be weighed carefully.

Opaque Transparency on the Use of Force: Observations on the 2022 “1264” Report
The 2022 report illustrates the limits of congressionally mandated reporting requirements on matters of war and peace and the need for Congress to be more proactive in informing…

Missed Opportunities and Minor Progress: The FY 2023 National Defense Bill and War Powers
One big disappointing omission and otherwise a mixed bag from the standpoint of winding down the United States’ forever wars -- despite leaders of both parties having proclaimed…

The World Should Protect Afghan Refugees Fleeing the Taliban’s Oppression
The international community must urgently do more to help Afghan refugees.

What Was the International Legal Basis for the Strike on al-Zawahiri?
Serious questions need to be addressed in order to establish that both the killing of Zawahiri, and the use of force against Afghanistan, were not violations of international law.

Time for the Biden Administration to Disavow the Dangerous Soleimani Legal Opinions
The legal opinions' fundamental error: distorting accepted legal framework to fit inapposite facts. Still on the book, the opinions remain a loaded weapon for another president…

Paradigm Shift: The Consequences of Choosing a War Path, and Leaving It
We owe it to the next generation to grapple now with the consequences of remaining at war -- as well as the consequences of choosing not to be -- lest we find ourselves reflexively…

Trump’s Secret Rules for Drone Strikes and Presidents’ Unchecked License to Kill
FOIA lawsuit obtains Trump administration's playbook. Hina Shamsi writes about the broader lessons for secret presidential powers.

Biden’s Drone Policy Review: Recommendations for a Reset
"The administration should see this review as an opportunity take some first critical steps toward ending the forever wars."

Trump’s War Powers Legacy and Questions for Biden
Will Biden rein in near-limitless claims of presidential authority to use force without congressional authorization and commit to restoring the balance of war powers between the…

Unprecedented Threats to Journalists & Civil Society Activists Are Threatening Afghanistan
Who benefits from the killing of journalists, human rights activists, and civil society members in Afghanistan? What purposes could it serve and for whom?