mercenaries
Soldiers, Not Soldiers of Fortune
Arthur Traldi Tue, Jul 19, 2022, 8:01 AM
Denying prisoner of war status to fighters in Ukraine on the grounds that they are ‘mercenaries’ violates international law.
Latest in Geneva Convention
Military Commissions
Guantanamo Detainee Files Suit for Release Following Completion of 10-Year Sentence
Tia Sewell Mon, Jul 11, 2022, 1:30 PM
On June 7, Majid S. Khan, a Pakistani detainee at Guantánamo Bay whose sentence ended on March 1, filed a 30-page petition for a writ of habeas corpus against President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and Lance Okamura, the U.S. commander of Joint Task Force-Guantanamo.
Refugees
COVID-19 and the Chance to Reform U.S. Refugee Policy
Sam Denney, Kemal Kirisci Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 10:07 AM
COVID-19 has exposed the underlying fault lines in societies around the world. Yet by revealing long ignored flaws, it presents a rare chance to reform.
International Law: LOAC
Developing the Law of Armed Conflict 70 Years After the Geneva Conventions
Shane Reeves Wed, Aug 7, 2019, 8:00 AM
The post below is the latest installment in Lawfare’s tradition of posting short pieces inspired by the annual Transatlantic Dialogues on International Law and Armed Conflict.
Foreign Policy Essay
Can International Humanitarian Law Restrain Armed Groups? Lessons from NGO Work on Anti-Personnel Landmines
Margarita Konaev, Tanisha Fazal Sun, Sep 30, 2018, 10:00 AM
Editor’s Note: The laws of war are written by and for states, but we want fighters in civil wars to treat civilians well, not use unconventional weapons, respect cultural heritage sites, and otherwise fight in a civilized way. But will fighting groups play by the rules?
International Governance
Iran’s Photographs of Navy Sailors: A War Crime (Or “Just” An Outrage?)
Adam Klein Thu, Jan 14, 2016, 11:46 AM
There’s an interesting IHL angle to Iran’s seizure and subsequent release of ten American sailors in the Persian Gulf: As several observers have already noted, publishing photographs and videos of the sailors may implicate Article 13 of the Third Geneva Convention, which provides that “prisoners of war must at all times be protected … against insults and public curiosity.”
Islamic State
ISIS and Just War Theory
Fernando R. Tesón Wed, Dec 9, 2015, 10:24 AM
Michael Walzer and Jeff McMahan have each recently written about the war on ISIS. The authors are the leading philosophers of war.
Syria
Russian Pilots Shot While Descending By Parachute?
Adam Klein Wed, Nov 25, 2015, 10:47 AM
Reuters reports
Turkmen forces in Syria shot dead the two pilots of a Russian jet downed by Turkish warplanes near the border with Turkey on Tuesday as they descended with parachutes, a deputy commander of a Turkmen brigade told reporters.
International Law: LOAC
Amid Investigations of Hospital Bombings, Don’t Lose Sight of Key Principles
Dustin Lewis, Naz Modirzadeh, Gabriella Blum Fri, Oct 30, 2015, 9:46 AM
In the midst of armed conflict, accurate and comprehensive information is notoriously difficult to come by.
Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)
When Cubs Become Lions: The Future of ISIS Child Soldiers
Staley Smith Mon, Aug 10, 2015, 4:52 PM
It’s summertime in Raqqa, but rather than learning arts and crafts or singing campfire songs, children at the Farouq Academy for Cubs—an indoctrination and training center run by the Islamic State—are busy practicing beheadings.