War Crimes
470 Articles
Why Bolton’s Assault on the ICC Is Not in U.S. Interests
As a personal crusade, John Bolton’s frontal attack on the International Criminal Court (ICC) is not surprising. He led the charge against the ICC early in the George W. Bush…
New UN Report Says All Parties to Yemen Conflict May be Responsible for War Crimes
The report, written by the group of eminent experts (GEE) appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council to investigate the conflict in Yemen, calls on the international community…
International Criminal Law Roundup Series: Part I
[UPDATED] To turn our lens to international criminal law for a moment, I recently attended the annual International Humanitarian Law Dialogs in Chautauqua, New York. This year’s…
Condolence Payments for Civilian Casualties: Lessons for Applying the New NDAA
The new National Defense Authorization Act can help improve the way the U.S. responds to civilian casualties. FOIA requests and interviews with DoD officials, U.S. soldiers, judge…
To Be a True Reformer, Ethiopia’s Abiy Must Commit to Human Rights Accountability
From his historic overture to Eritrea to his unprecedented opening of the Ethiopian economy, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia has branded himself as a reformer since assuming…
Continued Fight for Accountability in Liberia: Another Landmark U.S. Court Decision
For the second time in less than a year, evidence of war crimes in Liberia have been presented in a federal courtroom in Philadelphia. On July 3, Jucontee Thomas Woewiyu, former…
Time for a Reckoning in Yemen
Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, Stephen Rapp writes that "Americans are also at risk … of complicity in the crimes committed by coalition forces" in the…
Saudi Arabia’s Misleading Email to Congress After Bombing of MSF Cholera Hospital
On a recent Wednesday night in June, Saudi Arabia’s embassy emailed members of the U.S. Congress providing them something between a false and misleading account of an air strike…
With New U.S. Arms Sale Pending–What Happened to Saudi Assurances on Civilian Casualties in Yemen?
To get an arms sale past Congress last year, Saudi Arabia promised $750 million to prevent civilian casualties in Yemen. The civilian death toll has since risen.
Legal Limits on Military Assistance to Proxy Forces: Pathways for State and Official Responsibility
This article is the latest in our Fog of Law series that examines the gray zones in international law and conflict that can be exploited by states. The series comes in advance…
Time to Dust Off the War Crimes Act?–for an American ex-soldier now in command of UAE forces
Former members of the U.S. military are present in armed conflicts across the globe. Working for private military contractors, they are typically tasked with training and advising…
What the Law of Military Obedience Can (and Can’t) Do–What Happens if a President’s Orders are Unlawful?
A proposal to bring back waterboarding and a “hell of a lot worse.” The possible suggestion that members of the military should intentionally target terrorists’ civilian…