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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...
Al Hassan Symposium – Complicity in Torture and the ICC
The following post by Michel Paradis focuses on the legal issues the ICC's Trial Chamber should reexamine in making its final judgment, specifically whether Al Hassan’s credible allegations of torture compel the Trial Chamber to disregard the statements he made to the...
Al Hassan Symposium – Gendered Crime as a Central Focus in the ICC’s Al-Hassan Case
The following post by Valerie Oosterveld and Nicole Dotson focuses on gendered crime as a central focus in the ICC’s Al Hassan case. 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 – The War Crime of Sentencing or Execution without Due Process in the Al Hassan Case: The Interpretative Pitfalls Hidden in the Application of the Crime
The following post by Diletta Marchesi focuses on the most important interpretative pitfalls hidden in the application of the crime of sentencing or execution without due process. The post was published on the Armed Groups and International Law as part of the joint...
NATO Interoperability When Targeting Indispensable Objects
A recent Lieber Paper strikes an optimistic note concerning legal interoperability, arguing that the dissimilarities stemming from uneven treaty membership between NATO allies are less significant than they may seem. However, one contentious subject has the potential...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Towards the Full Protection of Civilians
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...
Ukraine Symposium – Ukraine, International Law, and Humanitarian Intervention
Responses to States that commit atrocities against their own people have long eluded international law. Some have pinned hopes on the concept of “humanitarian intervention,” whereby a State uses force (or threatens to use force) within the borders of a non-consenting...
Article 9 and the Attribution of Armed Groups’ Attacks to the Territorial State
The ongoing conflicts between Israel, Hamas, and Hezbollah continue to raise complex questions of international law. Some of these involve issues of State responsibility, requiring an assessment of whether the conduct of the relevant armed groups can be attributed to...
A Conflict in Suspense: General Close of Military Operations in the Iran-Israel Conflict
In April 2024, hostilities between Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran intensified significantly, with both sides engaging in direct military operations within each other’s borders. A bombing near the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1st triggered this sharp...
U.S. Army General Counsel: Speech to the International Society for Military Law and the Law of War
Editor’s note: The Honorable Carrie Ricci, General Counsel of the U.S. Army, offered the following remarks to the International Society for Military Law and the Law of War at the “Silent Leges inter Arma?” Conference VII on September 20, 2024, in Bruges, Belgium. As...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Buddhism’s Psycho-ethics of Non-harm and Restraint for All Sentient Beings During Armed Conflict
The following post by Andrew Bartles-Smith focuses the importance of looking to religious and non-Western thought systems to complement and reinvigorate dominant Western conceptions of humanitarian action. The post was published on Armed Groups and International Law...
United States v. Najibullah Symposium – The Ruling
Editors’ note: This post is part of a symposium on a pretrial hearing in the case United States v. Najibullah. An introductory post by Professor Sean Watts provides background on the case and the hearing. On Friday, 1 November 2024, U.S. District Judge Kathrine Polk...
Defeat: Meanings, Consequences, Law, and Doctrine
Victory. Defeat. Two seemingly straightforward words that capture the big-picture objectives and results of war. As many current and recent conflicts over the past few decades demonstrate, however, the reality is anything but straightforward. For example, as media...
Understanding the Distinction Between Property Destruction Governed by Hague Article 23(g) and the Rules Governing Attacks
This analysis follows my prior post explaining the obligations imposed by Article 23(g) of the Hague Regulations of 1907, annexed to Hague Convention IV. For the reasons stated below, the attack rules contained in Additional Protocol I (AP I) control destruction of...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – The Harm Mitigation Holarchy: Human Security, Protection of Civilians, and Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response
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...
Israel’s Consent, UNIFIL, and the UN Charter
When discussing UN peacekeeping, issues of international law and politics are intertwined and at times become inseparable. The issue of the political or legal nature of consent arose when the de facto Malian government requested the removal of the UN peacekeeping...
The Virginia-Georgetown Manual Concerning the Use of Force Under International Law: Rules and Commentaries on Jus Ad Bellum
As current events so clearly demonstrate, there is no subject more fundamentally important to the maintenance of global security than that of the jus ad bellum, the rules and procedures for assessing the permissibility of a State’s resort to force in its international...
Israel – Hamas 2024 Symposium – Why Yahya Sinwar Was Not Hors de Combat
On or about October 17, 2024, members of the Israel Defense Force (IDF) killed Yahya Sinwar, the political leader of Hamas and a suspected mastermind behind the October 7, 2023 attack that viciously murdered 1,200 Israeli men, women, and children. Among those...
Hybrid Threats and Grey Zone Conflict Symposium – Cyber Operations are Thriving in the Grey
Editors note: The following post highlights a chapter that appears in Mitt Regan and Aurel Sari’s recently published book Hybrid Threats and Grey Zone Conflict: The Challenge to Liberal Democracies. For a general introduction to the series, see Prof Mitt Regan and...
Strait Talk: Time to Exercise Navigational Freedoms in the Taiwan Strait Beyond Mere Transit?
Last month, a Japanese naval vessel traveled through the Taiwan Strait (the Strait), a first in the history of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force, along with naval vessels from Australia and New Zealand (a first for New Zealand since 2017). A few weeks prior, two...
Hybrid Threats and Grey Zone Conflict Symposium – Challenges in the Twilight of International Law
Editors note: The following post highlights a chapter that appears in Mitt Regan and Aurel Sari’s recently published book Hybrid Threats and Grey Zone Conflict: The Challenge to Liberal Democracies. For a general introduction to the series, see Prof Mitt Regan and...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Security Beyond the Physical – Addressing the Nasa Indigenous People’s Spiritual Harm in Armed Conflict
The following post by Piergiuseppe Parisi focuses on Nasa indigenous people’s spiritual harm in armed conflict. He argues that acknowledging that harm can take forms that transcend the physical dimension requires updating our understanding of human security and,...
Electronic Warfare and the Law of Armed Conflict
Earlier this year, we had the pleasure of participating in the “Future of Warfare and the Law Symposium” at U.S. Army Futures Command in Austin, Texas. The conference, which was co-sponsored by Army Futures Command, the Strauss Center for International Security and...
Attacking a Pipeline: Legal Issues for Consideration
Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 are pipelines constructed by a Russian State-controlled company called Gazprom to transport 110 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year from the Russian Federation under the Baltic Sea to Germany. Gazprom has a 51 percent...
Hybrid Threats and Grey Zone Conflict Symposium – Rethinking Coercion in Cyberspace
Editors note: The following post highlights a chapter that appears in Mitt Regan and Aurel Sari’s recently published book Hybrid Threats and Grey Zone Conflict: The Challenge to Liberal Democracies. For a general introduction to the series, see Prof Mitt Regan and...
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, and here). Although the longest video spans no more than 30...
Ukraine Symposium – Ukraine’s “Indefinite” Incursion into Russia and the Jus ad Bellum
In early August, following two and a half years of attempts to repulse invading Russian forces from its eastern territories, Ukraine conducted a large-scale ground counteroffensive into Russia from its northern border. In the largest incursion of its kind since the...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Systemic Impacts of War in Protracted Conflicts
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. The introductory post can be found here. The symposium invites reflection on the...
Hybrid Threats and Grey Zone Conflict Symposium – The Maritime Domain
Editors note: The following post highlights a chapter that appears in Mitt Regan and Aurel Sari’s recently published book Hybrid Threats and Grey Zone Conflict: The Challenge to Liberal Democracies. For a general introduction to the series, see Prof Mitt Regan and...
Hybrid Threats and Grey Zone Conflict Symposium – The Challenge for Liberal Democracies
The idea of great power competition is now a prominent lens through which to view international relations. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine reminds us that such rivalry may take an intensely violent form. Large-scale conflict has not gone away. Most...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – War is not skin deep – International Humanitarian Law and mental health
The following post by Samatha Holmes focuses on war’s impacts on mental health and wellbeing. She argues that the impacts are profound and pervasive, yet International Humanitarian Law (IHL) theory and practice has long overlooked them. The post was published on Armed...
Lieber Papers Series – The United States and (Most of) the Rest: A Legal Interoperability Primer
Editors’ Note: Articles of War previously published two longer works on the subjects of States’ responses to malicious or hostile actions and besieged forces’ legal obligations as both posts and as Lieber Institute White Papers. The post below addresses the subject...
The Legal Position of UN Peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon
The United Nations has reported several incidents over recent weeks involving the organization’s peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) maintains numerous positions in its area of operations, stretching from the western coast of...
“Well, it Depends”: The Explosive Pagers Attack Revisited
On 17 September, 2024, thousands of pagers distributed by Hezbollah to its operatives in Lebanon and Syria exploded. On the following day, hundreds of walkie talkies used by Hezbollah operatives also exploded. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, more than 30...
Anti-AI Countermeasures in Warfare: Terra Incognita for IHL?
In a small town under occupation by Alpha, an utterly baffling bloodbath occurred. Dozens of civilians coming home from the Friday market were gunned down by Alpha’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered sentry guns which, until that day, had never once mistaken the...
State Practice in Assassination: What is Old is New Again
In July 2024, CNN reported that American and German intelligence agencies had thwarted a Russian plan to kill Armin Papperger, the chief executive of Rheinmetall, a company known as “the largest and most successful German manufacturer of the vital 155mm artillery...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Armed Groups, Compliance and International Law. There is more than meets the eye
The following post by Ezequiel Heffes focuses on armed groups, compliance, and international law. He explores the motivations for armed groups to comply with international law and seeks to unpack some of the complexity surrounding their conduct. The post was published...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – A Rights-based Approach to Addressing Harm and Need in Armed Conflict?
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. The introductory post can be found here. The symposium invites reflection on the...
The Role of the Private Sector in Ensuring Respect for IHL
On September 12th, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) published its report, International Humanitarian Law and the Challenges of Contemporary Armed Conflicts. It is customary for the ICRC to produce such a report in the run-up to each quadrennial...
United States v. Najibullah Symposium – Bad Apples are Still Apples
Editors’ note: This post is part of a two-post symposium on a pretrial hearing in the case United States v. Najibullah. An introductory post by Professor Sean Watts provides background on the case and the hearing. Earlier this year, I testified as a defense expert...
Attacking Iran: Retaliation or Self-Defense?
On October 1, Iran launched a major two-wave attack consisting of over 180 missiles against Israel. The primary targets were the headquarters of Mossad and three Israeli Air Force bases. However, Israel’s multi-layered air defense systems, supported by U.S. warships,...
United States v. Najibullah Symposium – Taliban Combatant Immunity in Non-International Armed Conflict
Editors' note: This post is part of a two-post symposium on a pretrial hearing in the case United States v. Najibullah. An introductory post by Professor Sean Watts provides background on the case and the hearing. The purpose of the law of war hearing in United States...
United States v. Najibullah Symposium – Introduction
Almost as soon as hostilities between the United States and the Taliban and al Qaeda groups in Afghanistan began in 2001, important law of war questions emerged. In particular, early stages of the conflict provoked debate concerning its legal character. The question...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Practical Measures to Prevent and Mitigate Conflict-induced Food Insecurity
The following post by Katherine Kramer focuses on armed conflict and food insecurity. She discusses a new toolset which has been launched, providing guidance on practical measures armed actors can take to prevent and mitigate conflict-induced food insecurity. The post...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Redressing Civilian Harm and Going Beyond IHL Compliance
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. The introductory post can be found here. The symposium invites reflection on the...
Killing Nasrallah and the Law of Armed Conflict
Last Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted air strikes against a Hezbollah command and control bunker in Beirut’s Dahiyeh suburbs, which was located under an apartment complex. The attack, which followed IDF warnings for civilians to evacuate the area,...
War as a Non-State-Centric Concept of Contemporary International Law
Editors’ note: This post is drawn from the authors’ article-length work, “International Law’s Premature Farewell to the Concept of War” appearing in the Brazilian Journal of International Law. There is general consensus amongst practitioners and scholars that the...
Reflections on RUSI’s Tactical Lessons from IDF Operations in Gaza, 2023
In July, Jack Watling and Nick Reynolds published a paper entitled “Tactical Lessons from Israel Defense Forces Operations in Gaza, 2023” on behalf of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Founded in 1831, RUSI is the world’s oldest and the UK’s leading defense...
Beyond Compliance Symposium – Strategies to Reduce Harm and Need in War Through a Decolonial and Intersectional Lens
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. The introductory post can be found here. The symposium invites reflection on the...
Combined Arms Maneuver, Mission Command, and the Challenge of LOAC Implementation
The news out of Israel is, well, discouraging. It seems increasingly likely that Israel is going to launch a major combat operation to clear Hezbollah assets from southern Lebanon. The threat to Israeli border communities—which have been victimized by constant attacks...
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