By Louis René Beres* In early 2014, Washington and Moscow competed openly for influence in Egypt: Putin even promised expansive arms packages to now-President Sisi. With this in mind, Sisi is apt to play the U.S. and Russia off against each other, a cold war strategy that has implications for Israel’s security doctrine, including perhaps its nuclear doctrine.(1) Israel operates […]

By Laurie R. Blank* This is the final article in a three-part series on the Ukrainian crisis’s implications and lessons for the international law of armed conflict. You can read Part 1 and Part 2 here. Recent events in eastern Ukraine highlight the challenges of identifying the groups involved. Pro-Russian separatists, militants, pro-Ukrainian “street fighters”, nationalists, terrorists — many terms have been used […]

Series Introduction Following a new outbreak of violence in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, tensions in Ukraine and between Russia and the United States and NATO countries are high ahead of Ukraine’s presidential elections Sunday. Russian troops remain along Ukraine’s eastern border, notwithstanding Moscow’s promise of withdrawal. In this murky situation, however, it is crucial to rely on several foundational principles of international […]

Emory Law Professor Laurie R. Blank argues that the conflict in Ukraine demonstrates the importance of sustaining the strict separation between the law of armed conflict (LOAC) and the jus ad bellum, a low threshold for recognition of international armed conflict, and the principle of distinction in today’s conflicts.

Amien Kacou, attorney at GPI Law PLLC, argues that analogies from the use of lethal force against hostage-takers or fleeing felons to justify targeted killings of suspected al Qaeda terrorists are misguided. Image courtesy of Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY 2.5.

Katherine Earle of AEI discusses the recent Crimean referendum to join Russia and the associated security implications. Image courtesy of Getty Images.

The Harvard National Security Journal is launching a new initiative. Each month, panelists will comment on a question posed by the NSJ staff. This month’s topic: metadata. Image courtesy of NASA.

Mitchell S. Kominsky, Counsel for the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, discusses the state of cybersecurity legislation and the evolving nature of cyber policy. Image courtesy of Getty Images.

Corri Zoli and Emily Schneider untangle the infighting between rival groups in Syria and the calls to use Shari’a to mediate the conflicts on the battlefield. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Lieutenant Joseph Hatfield discusses the merits of a “reverse draft” in bridging the growing disconnect between civilian society and the military. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia