Blog post archive

Friday, 11 Sep 2020
The War Against Vague Threats: The Redefinitions of Imminent Threat and their Impact on Anticipatory Use of Force in the “War on Terror”

In this research project, I explored how the United States (U.S.) has redefined the concept of’imminentthreat’to relax the rules for anticipatory use of armed force against insurgent groups. In particular, two new definitions ofimminent threat have changed the conduct of specific combat activities: drone strikes and ground combat operations. In ...

Wednesday, 4 May 2016
Why the Veto Powers All Support Protection of Civilians (And Why They Often Fail to Agree on It)

The Protection of Civilians (PoC) expands the responsibility of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for international peace and security to the internal affairs of conflict-ridden countries. As such, it bolsters the authority of the five permanent members (the P5) in world politics and presents them with a flexible tool for ...

Friday, 10 Apr 2015
Emergency Exit for the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict

The tragedy in Syria bears witness to the deep crisis afflicting the international commitment to the “protection of civilians”. But there is a way out. Against the background of a politically divided Security Council, there is a need for a new international strategy to protect civilians caught up in armed ...