Topics
Lieber Studies Series – Civilian Protection in Armed Conflict: Select Issues
Civilian protection is a basic aim and legal obligation of international humanitarian law (IHL) or the law of armed conflict (LOAC). Yet, as recent and ongoing armed conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar, and elsewhere demonstrate, State armed forces and...
Cross-Border Drone Strikes Against Mexican Drug Cartels
In April 2025, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations Colby Jenkins testified that U.S. forces did not have legal authority to conduct cross-border drone strikes against drug cartels in Mexico even though President Trump had designated several cartels...
Israel-Hamas 2025 Symposium – Releasing Civilian Hostages and Returning Hostage Remains
On 7 October 2023, Hamas fighters took 251 hostages during its infamous attack on Israel. Although many were Israel Defense Force (IDF) soldiers, the vast majority were civilians, including children. Since that time, some of the hostages have been released, while the...
Interning a Hacker
Recently, at a workshop at Harvard Law School, I grappled with the question of internment in any international armed conflict (IAC) in the near future. It is a question some are uncomfortable with, although the concept of internment remains legally available under...
The So-Called Principle of Equal Treatment of Belligerents by the Neutral State
Conventional legal wisdom says neutral States owe belligerents equality of treatment (see for example here, p. 282–84, here, p. 237, and here, p. 466). This is largely inaccurate, however. What’s more, it is astonishing how persistently some cling to this erroneous...
Israel-Hamas 2025 Symposium – Reoccupied? The Israel Supreme Court’s Judgment in Gisha v Government of Israel
On March 27, 2025, the Supreme Court of Israel, sitting as High Court of Justice (HCJ), published its judgment (in Hebrew) in Gisha v Government of Israel. The judgment concerns the passage of relief to the Gaza Strip during the war which began on October 7, 2023. It...
The Disarmament Treaties Prohibiting Anti-Personnel Mines and Cluster Munitions: Separating Fact from Fiction
In recent months, there has been considerable criticism in scholarship, and in opinion editorials in several newspapers, of the content and impact of the two conventional disarmament treaties: the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production...
Judging Battlefield Conduct
Editors’ note: This post is based on the author’s article-length work, “The Rule of Law in Armed Conflict” published in volume 34 of the Minnesota Journal of International Law (2025). The rule of law is an appraisal concept that purports to restrict arbitrariness in...
Using the Proliferation Security Initiative to Disrupt Iran’s Oil Shipments
Since the Islamic revolution of 1979, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been hostile to the United States and its allies and partners. It is the leading State sponsor of terror in the world. Iran’s nuclear program additionally poses an existential...
Sudan: The Case for Recognising All Conflict-Related Sexual Violence as Torture
Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is often framed as an unfortunate byproduct of war rather than as an intentional and strategic act of violence. However, a closer examination of CRSV in modern conflicts reveals it is not incidental. As a deliberate weapon...
Conflict Classification in Eastern DRC: IAC, NIAC, or Both?
Enveloped in a myriad of armed conflicts, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recently witnessed a significant escalation of hostilities when the March 23 Movement (M23) seized the provincial capital Goma. The situation received particular scrutiny given the...
Cluster Munitions and Anti-Personnel Land Mines: An Explainer
Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine has ignited discussions within and between NATO States concerning the international conventions that ban the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions and anti-personnel landmines, and require the destruction...
Ukraine Symposium – Ukraine’s New Voluntary Report on the Implementation of IHL
In late 2024, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (MoDU) joined a relatively small but growing family of States that has published voluntary reports on implementation of international humanitarian law (IHL) at the domestic level. In other States, such occasions might...
Assessing the Ottawa Anti-Personnel Mine Convention Withdrawals
As security along their borders has deteriorated, Eastern European, Baltic, and Nordic States have scrambled to update and adapt their national defense strategies. Nearly all these States have publicly committed to significantly increase defense spending. To...
How Meaningful is “Meaningful Human Control” in LAWS Regulation?
In recent years, the concept of “meaningful human control” (MHC) has emerged as a key consideration in regulating lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS). This standard seeks to ensure substantial human involvement in overseeing and directing the operational functions...
Israel-Hamas 2025 Symposium – Humanitarian Relief as a Bargaining Chip
Questions concerning the use of the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare have been discussed at length over the course of the past 536 days of war in the Gaza Strip. Some have submitted the intent to starve civilians was evident since the very onset of the...
Targeting Iranian Spy Ships
On March 17, 2025, Al-Hadath, a Saudi news outlet, reported that U.S. forces in the Middle East had targeted and sunk Iran’s newest signals intelligence (SIGINT) ship, the IRINS Zagros (H313), while the spy ship was on station in the Red Sea. Both U.S. and Iranian...
Israel-Hamas 2025 Symposium – Conditionality and the ICC’s Gallant “Starvation as a Method of Warfare” Charge
On 20 May 2024, the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) stated his intention to seek arrest warrants in respect of the situation in Gaza for, amongst others, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Gallant. Amongst the...
Clarifying Neutrality: The Rise of Different Statuses?
With the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, one can witness the rebirth of a classical topic of international law: the law of neutrality. Some argue that neutrality is “obsolete.” An alternative perspective is that a new kind of neutrality, called “qualified...
ENMOD: Dead Letter or Environmental Lifeline?
Editors’ note: This post is derived from the author’s article published in issue 118(3) of the American Journal of International Law. There is little denying that the world is fragile and battered. While our natural environment is resilient, it has been stretched to...
Ukraine Symposium – Russia’s Reproductive Violence in Ukraine: Hidden Atrocities of War
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has inflicted enormous harm on the civilian population, exposing many women, children, and in some cases men, to abuses including sexual and reproductive violence. Although global media often highlight missile strikes and...
Australian Compensation for War Crimes in Afghanistan: A Rights-Based Approach, Not Military Charity, is Needed
In July 2024, Australia adopted a new legal scheme to compensate victims of war crimes committed by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in Afghanistan, which was deployed there from 2001 to 2021, including as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance...
Booby-traps and “Apparently Harmless” Portable Objects
Recent hostilities in eastern Europe and the Middle East have generated significant interest in issues of law of armed conflict (LOAC) compliance. Notably, several incidents have led to close scrutiny of the LOAC rules on the use of booby-traps (see e.g., here, here,...
A New Tool in the Fight Against Impunity for Core International Crimes
Globalisation has made various aspects of our society more efficient over the past century. At the same time, it also brings with it a certain complexity. This is noticeable, for example, in the prosecution of international crimes. In May 2019, on the occasion of the...
Al Hassan Symposium – Fair Trial Guarantees under the Law of Armed Conflict: How Can They Be Realistic for Armed Groups?
The following post by Raphaël van Steenberghe focuses on fair trial guarantees and examines the merits of the Trial Chamber’s judgment in this respect. It also explains how fair trial guarantees, which armed groups’ courts must afford, may be addressed in light of a...
Ukraine Symposium – Sunk in Battle but the War is Not Over: Who Owns the Moskva Now?
The study of underwater cultural heritage, and that of sunken warships, has typically focussed on the legal protections surrounding a site in the years, or often centuries, after the sinking. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has given cause to study the topic in a more...
The New Syria and Its Obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention
On December 8, 2024, after weeks of hostilities, rebel groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured the capital city of Damascus and took control over the Syrian State. This historic development attracted worldwide attention and crystalized after the sudden exile...
Ukraine Symposium – Terrorizing Civilians and the Law of Armed Conflict
Reports from the Kherson Oblast, an area of Ukraine the Ukrainian military recaptured in November 2022, indicate that the Russian military is using drones to target Ukrainian civilians as part of a systematic effort to terrorize the civilian population (see also here,...
The New Crime of Kinocide
Editors’ note: This post is based on the work of The Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes Against Women and Children and its report “Kinocide: Uncovering the Weaponization of Families on October 7, 2023.” On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a concerted and widespread...
The Silent Service: The Law of Armed Conflict’s Blind Spots Regarding Modern Submarine Warfare
Submarines play a critical role in warfare due to their stealth, speed, endurance, and firepower. These attributes make them the “queens of the chessboard” in naval strategy and warfare. Modern submarines provide an array of unique capabilities, including strategic...
Terror, Chaos, and Shame: When Information Operations Constitute War Crimes
The informational dimension of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has provoked important debate around the legal framework applicable to information operations in armed conflict. However, Russia’s weaponization of information goes far beyond Ukraine, with...
One Year On: Are the ICRC’s Principles for Civilian Hackers Shaping the Laws of War?
In October 2023, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) laid down a stark warning: cyber warfare must not spiral into lawless destruction. Their eight rules for civilian hackers and four obligations for States were a bold attempt to align cyber operations...
I Spy: Espionage, Perfidy, and Fighting in the Shadows
In a 2024 Articles of War post, I identified that intelligence gathering, including espionage, is authorized by both treaty and customary international law during armed conflict. For international armed conflicts, the treaty basis is found in Article 24 of the 1907...
Ukraine Symposium – Litigating the Act of Aggression as Human Rights Claims
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reports that since February 2022, there have been 40,176 verified civilian casualties caused by the conflict in Ukraine: 12,340 killed and 27,836 injured. The number of combatant casualties is much higher. President...
Ukraine Symposium – The Continuing Autonomous Arms Race
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags into a grueling war of attrition, both sides are intensifying efforts to achieve a battlefield breakthrough with technological innovation. The invasion has sparked a rapid proliferation of low-cost drones and robotic systems that...
Al Hassan Symposium – A Disappointment for the Victims of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Timbuktu
Editors’ note: This post is part of a joint symposium hosted by the Armed Groups and International Lawand Articles of War blogs. The symposium addresses the ICC’s judgment in the Al Hassan case. The introductory post is available here. On June 26, 2024, the...
Al Hassan Symposium – The Defences of Duress and Mistake of Law in the Al Hassan Trial Judgment
The following post by Antonio Coco focuses on the defences of duress and mistake of law in the Al Hassan judgment. The post was published on the Armed Groups and International Law as part of the joint Articles of War and AGIL Al Hassan Symposium. ...
Al Hassan Symposium – Justice Served (f)or Justice Denied? – The ICC Trial Chamber’s Approach to the War Crime of Passing Sentences Without a Regularly Constituted Court under Article 8(2)(c)(iv) of the Rome Statute
The following post by Hannes Jöbstl focuses on the ICC Trial Chamber’s approach to the war crime of passing sentences without a regularly constituted court under Article 8(2)(c)(iv) of the Rome Statute. The post was published on the Armed Groups and International...
Al Hassan Symposium – Superior Orders: A (Hopefully) Overlooked Afterthought
Editors’ note: This post is part of a joint symposium hosted by the Armed Groups and International Law and Articles of War blogs. The symposium addresses the ICC’s judgment in the Al Hassan case. The introductory post is available here. In its 822-page judgment in the...
The Presumption of Civilian Status in Cases of Doubt: A Vital Rule in Increasingly Unsettled Times
Editors’ note: This post is drawn from the authors’ article-length work, “Pro patria mori: When States Encourage Civilian Involvement in Armed Conflict” appearing in the International Review of the Red Cross. The price armed conflict demands is human life, and...
The Future of Warfare: National Positions on the Governance of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), such as drones and autonomous missile systems, are no longer a theoretical concern. Indeed, they are finding their way onto the battlefield. Amid growing international concern, States have articulated a range of positions on...
Al Hassan Symposium – International Human Rights Law, Nexus and Non-State Armed Groups: Still a Mystery
The following post by Ezequiel Heffes focuses on a critical issue raised in the Al Hassan judgment that has not received much attention in recent debates related to the case: the possible application of international human rights law to non-State armed groups and the...
Al Hassan Symposium – The ICC’s Coerced Confession Double Standard
Editors’ note: This post is part of a joint symposium hosted by the Armed Groups and International Law and Articles of War blogs. The symposium addresses the ICC’s judgment in the Al Hassan case. The introductory post is available here. On June 26, 2024, the...
Al Hassan Symposium – Towards the Acceptance of the Aggregated Violence Approach?
Editors’ note: This post is part of a joint symposium hosted by the Armed Groups and International Law and Articles of War blogs. The symposium addresses the ICC’s judgment in the Al Hassan case. The introductory post is available here. On June 26, 2024, Trial Chamber...
The Conflict in Eastern DRC and the State Responsibility of Rwanda and Uganda
In late January 2025, a rebel alliance involving the militia group M23 seized control over the town of Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Notwithstanding their declaration of a unilateral ceasefire, at the time of...
Al Hassan Symposium – (Re) Introduction
In July of 2023, Articles of War and Armed Groups and International Law jointly launched a series of posts covering the forthcoming trial judgment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Prosecutor v. Al Hassan. The case addressed charges relating to acts by...
Balloons and Drones? The Least of Our Worries Regarding China
“Let's be clear – the PRC does not invest; they extract.” General Laura J. Richardson A map of Panama with the Canal Zone denoted as U.S. Jurisdiction. “The land divided, the world united.” That was the official motto of the Canal Zone, a U.S. territory that seemed to...
Taiwan’s Counter-Lawfare Strategy
In his 2025 New Year address, President of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Xi Jinping reiterated his commitment to the reunification of Taiwan. He stated, “no one can ever stop China’s reunification, a trend of the times.” One would hope that he meant peaceful...
Countering Space-Based Weapons of Mass Destruction
Russia’s alleged effort to develop a space-based nuclear weapon threatens to violate the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, undermine international peace and stability, and hold at risk the peaceful use of space for all nations. Other emerging threats, such as China’s...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Extracting Lessons from the Russia-Ukraine War to Improve Civilian Protection
Editors’ note: This post forms part of the Beyond Compliance Symposium: How to Prevent Harm and Need in Conflict, featured across Articles of War and Armed Groups and International Law. You can find the introductory post here. The symposium invites reflection on the...
The Status of the U.S. Coast Guard’s People, Bases and Equipment, and Vessels Under LOAC
The U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) recently published an article highlighting the integral role the U.S. Coast Guard might play in a future high-intensity conflict. Set in the context of the American Sea Power Project’s fictional War of 2026 scenario, wherein the United...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Investigating Civilian Harm in an Era of Western Remote Warfare
The following post by Lauren Gould focuses on the changing character of the Western way of war in the 21st century and investigating civilian harm. The post was published on Armed Groups and International Law as part of the joint Articles of War and AGIL Beyond...
Indo-Pacific Legal Topics for Operational Lawyers
The year 2024 was a time of increasing instability for global security. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has resurrected the specter of a world war, in which North Korea is also involved. Perhaps related to that war, November of last year saw an incident in...
Dilemmas of Defense: The U.S. Role in the Iran-Israel Conflict
On April 13, 2024, the Islamic Republic of Iran carried out an unprecedented operation, launching hundreds of drones and cruise missiles toward Israel. Reports indicate that Israel intercepted the majority of these drones and missiles with assistance from the United...
If the “Why” of War Shapes the “How” of Law, Who is Accountable?
The ongoing armed conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza illustrate the dangerous consequences of conflating jus ad bellum and jus in bello. This conflation risks undermining the universality of international humanitarian law (IHL) and reducing international criminal law (ICL)...
Ukraine Symposium – “Public Curiosity” and the North Korean POWs
The Russia-Ukraine international armed conflict, which started with Russia’s takeover of Crimea in 2014 and grew with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, escalated further with the recent involvement of North Korean troops. North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un,...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Broadening the Lens: Rethinking Civilian Harm within International Humanitarian Law
Editors’ note: This post forms part of the Beyond Compliance Symposium: How to Prevent Harm and Need in Conflict, featured across Articles of War and Armed Groups and International Law. You can find the introductory post here. The symposium invites reflection on the...
When Technology Meets Humanity: Harnessing New and Emerging Technologies at the End of Conflict
New and emerging technologies offer significant contributions toward facilitating the end of conflict and protecting and easing the effects of conflict on the civilian population. Over the past decade and more, security and legal scholars have devoted enormous...
Ukraine Symposium – The Budapest Memorandum’s History and Role in the Conflict
Last month of 2024 marked the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Budapest Memorandum, part of an agreement by which Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in return for security assurances by Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The Memorandum, signed...
Israel’s Actions in Syria and the Outer Limits of Self-Defence
Following the fall of the al-Assad regime in Syria, Israel carried out a series of airstrikes across Syria targeting military facilities, weapons and ammunition depots, defence systems, and Syrian naval and aircraft fleets. The targets reportedly housed “chemical...
The Drone Threat, the Laser Response, and the Law – Part II
The first part of this two-part post, described and explained the weapons law principles and rules that apply to suicide or kamikaze drones. It also set forth and explained applicable targeting law principles and rules and addressed the legality of mass attacks...
The Drone Threat, the Laser Response, and the Law – Part I
In conflicts during the last few years, unmanned air weapons, commonly referred to as drones, have increasingly been used to undertake attacks of ground targets. These attacks have recently involved large numbers of these drones, often directed at multiple targets....
LTWRC Nuclear Weapons and International Law Series: Countering Space-Based Weapons of Mass Destruction
Editors’ note: We are pleased to partner with the Law, Technology, and Warfare Research Cell (LTWRC) at the U.S. Air Force Academy to publish links to recordings of their law of war-relevant videos, webinars, and podcasts. Readers can explore our LTWRC links here,...
Common Article 2 and Non-State Reciprocity in the Law of Armed Conflict
Editors’ note: This post is an abbreviated version of an article appearing in the Emory International Law Review Volume 39 (2025). When the States that signed the 1949 Geneva Conventions negotiated the applicability provisions in Common Articles 2 (CA2) and 3 (CA3),...
Year Ahead – Gearing Up for Possible Naval Conflict
Editors’ note: We are pleased to announce that Articles of War has recently added several thematic editors to our staff. Each editor has contributed a post to this year’s Year Ahead series with thoughts on issues or situations they recommend our readers track over the...
Year Ahead – A Year to Refrain from Destructive War Rhetoric
Editors’ note: We are pleased to announce that Articles of War has recently added several thematic editors to our staff. Each editor has contributed a post to this year’s Year Ahead series with thoughts on issues or situations they recommend our readers track over the...
Year Ahead – U.S. Department of Defense and Space Force Commercial Space Strategies
Editors’ note: We are pleased to announce that Articles of War has recently added several thematic editors to our staff. Each editor has contributed a post to this year’s Year Ahead series with thoughts on issues or situations they recommend our readers track over the...
Year Ahead – The Coming Year’s Evolution in the Law of Cyber Operations
Editors’ note: We are pleased to announce that Articles of War has recently added several thematic editors to our staff. Each editor has contributed a post to this year’s Year Ahead series with thoughts on issues or situations they recommend our readers track over the...
Year Ahead – Land Operations
Editors' note: We are pleased to announce that Articles of War has recently added several thematic editors to our staff. Each editor has contributed a post to this year’s Year Ahead series with thoughts on issues or situations they recommend our readers track over the...
Year in Review – 2024
2024 was defined by a landscape of intensifying conflicts, continuous technological advancements (see here and here), and evolving debates over the application of the law of armed conflict (LOAC). The persistent war in Ukraine, the volatile Israel-Hezbollah and...
Criminal Groups as Parties to Non-International Armed Conflicts: The Standard of the Constitutional Court of Ecuador
Editors’ note: This post builds upon the authors’ article-length work, “Is Ecuador Facing a Non-International Armed Conflict Against Organized Crime Groups? Reality, Inconsistencies and Jurisprudential Developments” appearing in the International Review of the Red...
Searching for a Practical Legal Test for the End of Non-International Armed Conflicts
Editors’ note: This post is drawn from the authors’ article-length work, “Establishing a Practical Test for the End of Non-International Armed Conflict” appearing in the International Review of the Red Cross. International humanitarian law (IHL) is an exceptional body...
Killing General Kirillov: Questions and Answers
On December 17, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Forces, and his assistant were killed in a bomb explosion outside his Moscow apartment building. The bomb was concealed in an electric scooter and...
Dutch District Court Judgment on Military Support to and Trade with Israel
On Friday 13 December 2024, the District Court of the Hague handed down its judgment in a torts case related to the Netherlands’ military support to and trade cooperation with Israel. Al-Haq and nine other civil society organizations (referred to collectively as...
Jus post Bellum as a Key to Sustainable Peace after War
Editors’ note: This post is based on the author’s article-length work, “Jus post bellum: Scope and Assessment of the Applicable Legal Framework” in the International Review of the Red Cross. International humanitarian law (IHL) primarily addresses the outbreak and...
Taiwan Statehood (or not) and its Ramification for Armed Conflict
As outlined in a previous Articles of War post, the recent 2024 Lieber Workshop focused on international law and the future of multi-domain operations in the Indo-Pacific. One of the workshop’s panels featured rich discussions on the military and political situation...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – The UN Children and Armed Conflict agenda as an accountability mechanism
The following post by Rocco Blume and Samatha Holmes focuses on the tools the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) agenda has at its disposal, the successes of the CAAC agenda as an accountability mechanism, as well as some of the barriers this agenda faces. The post...
From Conflict to Closure: The Role of AI in Identifying and Honouring the Deceased
Editors’ note: This post is drawn from the author’s article-length work, “Advancing Honour and Dignity in Death for Victims of Armed Conflicts: Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities of AI and Machine Learning in Humanitarian Forensic Action Under IHL” appearing...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Providing a Framework for NATO’s Human Security Approach
Editors’ note: This post forms part of the Beyond Compliance Symposium: How to Prevent Harm and Need in Conflict, featured across Articles of War and Armed Groups and International Law. You can find the introductory post here. The symposium invites reflection on the...
Transboundary Environmental Protection in Armed Conflict
Editors’ note: This post is drawn from the author’s article-length work, “The International Responsibility of a Belligerent State in the Event of Transboundary Environmental Damage” appearing in the International Review of the Red Cross. The rules governing armed...
Rules of Engagement in Large-Scale Combat Operations: Force Enabler or Much Ado About Nothing?
Rules of Engagement (ROE) have traditionally played a major role in the execution of military operations, particularly when a given situation has not reached the threshold of armed conflict. In more recent years, however, some military operations have used ROE to...
The Suspension of Hostilities in the Israel-Hezbollah Armed Conflict
A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on 27 November. According to the U.S. State Department, “Broadly speaking, it has been successful in stopping the fighting and getting us on a path where we are not seeing the just daily loss of life...
Norway Seeks ICJ Advisory Opinion on Israel’s Humanitarian Obligations in Gaza
Editors’ note: The following post reflects the author’s views and should not be interpreted to reflect the official Norwegian position. Norway is currently seeking support from the UN General Assembly (UNGA) for a resolution tasking the International Court of Justice...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Research Consultations with Non-State Armed Groups
The following post by Pascal Bongard and Ann-Kristin Sjöberg focuses on research consultations with non-State armed groups. The post was published on Armed Groups and International Law as part of the joint Articles of War and AGIL Beyond Compliance Symposium: How to...
Iran as a Party to an International Armed Conflict with Israel
A recent Articles of War post argues that Iran’s “substantial involvement” in Hezbollah’s activities is sufficient to render it responsible for the latter’s armed attacks, thus triggering Israel’s right to use self-defense directly against Iran. This is a view I also...
Ukraine Symposium – North Korea’s Entry into International Armed Conflict
In recent months, the world has observed the methodical introduction of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) into the ongoing Russia-Ukraine international armed conflict (IAC). On June 19, 2024, President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader, Kim...
The Operational Consequences of Conflating the “Why” and “How” of War
In conflict, determining whose cause is “more just” can span the spectrum of opinion and complexity. For example, most States consider Ukraine to be the “victim” State in its international armed conflict (IAC) with Russia. Shortly after the invasion, the UN Security...
Finland, Territorial Security, and Anti-personnel Mines
This post outlines select international weapons law obligations of Finland relating to anti-personnel mines against the backdrop of its evolving national security situation. It identifies an array of legal, operational, and technical issues that will bear on any...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Quantifying Compliance: Challenges of Measuring Compliance with International Humanitarian Law
Editors’ note: This post forms part of the Beyond Compliance Symposium: How to Prevent Harm and Need in Conflict, featured across Articles of War and Armed Groups and International Law. You can find the introductory post here. The symposium invites reflection on the...
Iran and Israel: The Light Treatment of Jus ad Bellum
In the early hours of October 26, 2024, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) launched a large-scale attack against Iran. According to the IDF, these were “precise and targeted strikes against military targets in a number of areas in Iran.” While details on the nature and...
Lieber Workshop 2024: International Law and the Future of Multi-Domain Operations in the Indo-Pacific
Editors’ note: The views expressed in this post are those of the authors and not necessarily those of any other workshop participants. From October 28 to 31, 2024, the Lieber Institute for Law and Warfare hosted its eighth annual Lieber Workshop at its institutional...
The ICC Palestine Case in the Aftermath of the Arrest Warrants Decisions – Part Two
On November 21, 2024, the Pre-trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued four decisions dealing with various legal matters arising out of the Prosecutor’s May 20 request to issue arrest warrants in connection with the war in Gaza. In Part One of...
The Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire: A Least Worst Option
Editors’ note: The author has also addressed this subject on The Conversation. It is welcome news that a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has now been approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli cabinet, despite right-wing Minister for...
Joint Operations in the Legal Environment: A Framework for Legal Competition, Expanded Maneuver, and Deterrence
This post introduces the concept of joint operations in the legal environment (OLE) and argues that the Department of Defense (DoD) should implement OLE to uphold legitimacy in strategic competition with China and Russia. OLE builds on U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s...
The Baltic Sea Cable-Cuts and Ship Interdiction: The C-Lion1 Incident
According to widely held Russian perceptions, Russia is at war with NATO. In September 2024, Vladimir Putin stated that lifting restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range NATO missiles to attack Russia “will mean that NATO countries—the United States and European...
Vessels of War
How can vessels be used in war? Are rights and obligations vested in armed forces personnel or in the naval platforms themselves? Combatancy in land warfare is fairly straightforward. Persons sanctioned by and under the control of a State have obligations under the...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Recognising and Addressing Harm to Children Caused by Explosive Weapons
The following post by Bethany Ellis focuses on recognising and addressing harm to children caused by explosive weapons. The post was published on Armed Groups and International Law as part of the joint Articles of War and AGIL Beyond Compliance Symposium: How to...
The Evolving Interpretation of the Use of Force in Cyber Operations: Insights from State Practices
Editors’ note: This post is drawn from the author’s article-length work with Professor Michael Schmitt, “Cyberspace and the Jus ad Bellum: The State of Play” appearing in International Law Studies. The post and the article are both based on course work that the author...
The ICC Palestine Case in the Aftermath of the Arrest Warrants Decisions – Part One
On November 21, 2024, the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued four decisions. These deal with various legal matters arising out of the Prosecutor’s May 20 request to issue arrest warrants as part of his ongoing investigation of the...
Mind the Gap: The COIN Hangover & DoD’s New Policy to Protect Civilians on the Battlefield
The Department of Defense (DoD) recently released a bold new policy, a DoD Instruction titled “Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response,” that aims to reduce civilian harm on “battlefield next.” This “scalable” policy, issued in December 2023, codifies best practices...
