Other Writings
Accountability for American War Crimes
Charli Carpenter details several significant U.S. violations of international law in recent history, ways in which the United States is able to escape accountability for such actions, as well as possible venues for achieving justice in the future.
Assassination, Extrajudicial Execution, Targeted Killing: What's the Difference?
Successive presidents have tried to shape new terminology for political killings. But they’re still mostly illegal.
Trump's Asylum Policies Are Breaking the Law
Under U.S. domestic and international law, public servants locking up immigrants at the border could be prosecuted.
Americans Want Their Leaders to Obey the Laws of War
New research claims that the U.S. public doesn’t care about protecting enemy civilians. It is wrong—and dangerous.
Don’t Call This a Humanitarian Intervention
Whether you support or disapprove of the coming strike on Syria, don't say it's about saving civilians. History proves otherwise.
Responsibility to Protect Or to Punish
Punishing norm violations is not the same as protecting civilians.
Don’t Fear the Reaper
Killer robots. Video-game warfare. Unlawful weapons. Terminators. Drone-attack commentary has become synonymous with reports of civilian carnage, claims of international-law violations, and worries about whether high-tech robotic wars have become too easy and fun to be effectively prevented. But the debate over drones is misleading the public about the nature of the weaponry and the law.
War Crimes Reporting After Goldstone
The Geneva Conventions need a proper monitoring mechanism.
Protecting Civilians in Asymmetric Conflicts
Two recent books cast doubt on the ability of existing war law to protect civilians. But a closer look shows the laws are stronger and more resilient than we think.
Wikileaks and War Crimes
Targeted leaks work better than document dumps. If Wikileaks understood this, it could use its power for good.
Time for Collateral Damage Control
Most violence against civilians is perfectly lawful in war. Here's what to do about it.
Geneva 2.0
It's unrealistic to expect war-fighters to follow the Geneva rules to the letter. But that doesn't mean they should be thrown out with the bathwater.