Lieber Studies Series – Protecting Civilians During Invasion

Lieber Studies Series – Protecting Civilians During Invasion

Lieber Studies Series – Protecting Civilians During Invasion Editors’ note: This post is based on the author’s chapter in Civilian Protection in Armed Conflict: Select Issues (Jelena Pejic and Margaret Kotlik eds. 2025), the eleventh volume of the Lieber Studies...
Cross-Border Drone Strikes Against Mexican Drug Cartels

Cross-Border Drone Strikes Against Mexican Drug Cartels

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...
Israel-Hamas 2025 Symposium – Releasing Civilian Hostages and Returning Hostage Remains

Israel-Hamas 2025 Symposium – Releasing Civilian Hostages and Returning Hostage Remains

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,...
The Operational Consequences of Conflating the “Why” and “How” of War

The Operational Consequences of Conflating the “Why” and “How” of War

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...
Ukraine Symposium – Dragon Drones and the Law of Armed Conflict

Ukraine Symposium – Dragon Drones and the Law of Armed Conflict

Ukraine Symposium – Dragon Drones and the Law of Armed Conflict In early September, social media users uploaded videos depicting a Ukrainian drone spewing a burning substance along a dense tree line, allegedly where Russian troops were hiding (see here, here, here,...