War Crimes
470 Articles
The Missing State Department Memo on US Officials’ Possible Aiding and Abetting Saudi War Crimes
Today the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is set to consider dueling bills on Saudi Arabia. A bill sponsored by Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), would block arms sales to the…
Tom Lantos Commission: Enhancing U.S. Ability to Pursue Accountability for Atrocities
I had the honor of testifying last week before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at a hearing devoted to “Pursuing Accountability for Atrocities.” My written testimony…
A Critique of Defense Dept General Counsel Ney’s Remarks on the Law of War
"The law of war applies equally to U.S. forces and to ISIS, to Syria and to Russia. We should keep that in mind when we hear Ney recite Lieber’s dictum, 'The more vigorously…
Post-9/11 Veterans Have Mixed Feelings About Trump’s War Crimes Pardons
In order to better understand how to think about this controversial decision, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) conducted a flash poll this week, with over 1,600…
The American Way of War Includes Fidelity to Law: Preemptive Pardons Break that Code
"The news that President Trump is even considering such action is unlike conduct by any President in modern history, and the danger it poses to the rule of law is staggering. Such…
Sticking It To Yourself: Preemptive Pardons for Battlefield Crimes Undercut Military Justice and Military Effectiveness
Chris Jenks served as Special Counsel to the General Counsel of the Department of Defense (2017-2018) where he was awarded the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional…
ICC Prosecutor Signals Important Strategy Shift in New Policy Document
"The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, has released for comment a draft of her Strategic Plan for the final years of her mandate, 2019-2021.…
Somalia War Crimes Trial Starts Monday, as Another Survivor Seeks Justice
The third in a trio of federal cases brought by the San Francisco-based Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA) on behalf of victims and survivors of Siad Barre’s rule in…
Gutting the Substance of a Security Council Resolution on Sexual Violence
The United States has abandoned any meaningful commitment to victims and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, in the interest of appeasing domestic anti-abortion constituencies.…
Deconstructing the Int’l Criminal Court’s Decision on Afghanistan
The decision of the International Criminal Court’s Pre-Trial Chamber II refusing to open an investigation into crimes committed in Afghanistan establishes a new Rome Statute…
Smart Justice in Sudan: For Bashir’s Crimes, Is the ICC Still the Best Route?
A remarkable transition is underway in Sudan. After months of protests, Omar Al Bashir’s autocratic regime finally collapsed this month. It is, of course, quite ironic that Bashir,…
What is a War Crime?
A substantive approach to defining "war crimes" as serious violations of international humanitarian law could help bring a measure of justice in Syria and beyond.