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The Just Security Podcast: Sen. Elissa Slotkin on a New Vision for American National Security

Last week, Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) unveiled a new “national security war plan,” centered on reviving the middle class, winning the global tech race, and rethinking how Americans are protected in an era of shifting threats and changing geopolitical realities.  Senator Slotkin joins Just Security’s editors-in-chief Ryan Goodman … The Just Security Podcast: Sen. Elissa Slotkin on a New Vision for American National SecurityRead more

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Striking Drug Cartels under the Jus ad Bellum and Law of Armed Conflict

On Sept. 2, the U.S. Navy conducted a strike on a speedboat in the Caribbean, killing eleven people aboard the vessel. The strike occurred, according to President Donald Trump, after U.S. forces  “positively identified Tren de Aragua Narco terrorists … transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States.” … Striking Drug Cartels under the Jus ad Bellum and Law of Armed ConflictRead more

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The Many Ways in Which the September 2 Caribbean Strike was Unlawful … and the Grave Line the Military Has Crossed

Now that the President has submitted the required War Powers Resolution report to Congress, we can begin to take stock of just how extraordinary and significant last Tuesday’s lethal strike in the Caribbean Sea was. As I will try to explain below, it’s likely that the President lacked … The Many Ways in Which the September 2 Caribbean Strike was Unlawful … and the Grave Line the Military Has CrossedRead more

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The Just Security Podcast: Troubled Legal Waters – What You Need to Know about the U.S. Strike on the Caribbean Vessel

Last week, the United States carried out an unprecedented strike against a vessel suspected of narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean, destroying the vessel and reportedly killing 11 people on board. This action raises highly concerning questions about the process followed within the U.S. government: how and by whom … The Just Security Podcast: Troubled Legal Waters – What You Need to Know about the U.S. Strike on the Caribbean VesselRead more

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A Strategic Bet to Advance America’s Quantum Leadership

The Trump administration has rightly cast securing U.S. quantum leadership as a national security imperative. By harnessing the quirks of subatomic physics, quantum technologies promise vast economic gains in sectors spanning pharmaceuticals, transportation, and communications. They also carry profound security stakes, enabling new battlefield advantages and cyber threats … A Strategic Bet to Advance America’s Quantum LeadershipRead more

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Taking Stock of the Birthright Citizenship Cases, Part III: DOJ’s Arguments Regarding Domicile and Unauthorized Immigrants

This is the third in a series of four pieces concerning the ongoing challenges to the legality of President Donald Trump’s Executive Order No. 14160 (the “Citizenship Order”), which declares that two categories of persons born in the United States to foreign nationals are not birthright citizens. The … Taking Stock of the Birthright Citizenship Cases, Part III: DOJ’s Arguments Regarding Domicile and Unauthorized ImmigrantsRead more

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Digest of Recent Articles on Just Security (Sept. 2-5, 2025)

U.S. Military Strike / Venezuela Legal Issues Raised by a Lethal U.S. Military Attack in the Caribbean by Brian Finucane Using Labels, Not Law, to Justify Lethal Force: Inside the Venezuelan Boat Strike by Mark Nevitt Afghanistan The Experience of Time and Tyranny Under the Taliban in Afghanistan … Digest of Recent Articles on Just Security (Sept. 2-5, 2025)Read more

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Using Labels, Not Law, to Justify Lethal Force: Inside the Venezuelan Boat Strike

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the U.S. military had attacked an alleged drug vessel in international waters, killing what he described as 11 “terrorists” who he claimed were members of the Tren de Aragua gang from Venezuela. The strike, which appears to be unlawful under international … Using Labels, Not Law, to Justify Lethal Force: Inside the Venezuelan Boat StrikeRead more

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Washington Balks While Beijing Builds: Reauthorizing the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation

Congress has just a few weeks left to decide the fate of a little-known but pivotal agency: the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). Established in 2019 to counter China’s global investment offensive, the DFC is America’s development bank, meaning it aims to spur private investment in developing countries … Washington Balks While Beijing Builds: Reauthorizing the U.S. International Development Finance CorporationRead more

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September Could Finally Bring Answers for Northern Ireland Families

This month, Northern Ireland’s courts may deliver long-awaited answers — and perhaps accountability — for survivors and bereaved families of the conflict from 1969 to 1998. Over those three decades, U.K. security forces, republican and loyalist paramilitaries killed more than 3,500 people, injuring and torturing many more. Although … September Could Finally Bring Answers for Northern Ireland FamiliesRead more

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Dueling Strategies for Global AI Leadership? What the U.S. and China Action Plans Reveal

In July, the Trump administration announced its highly-anticipated AI Action Plan, which sets out a guide for achieving U.S. AI dominance by propelling innovation and adoption, easing regulation, and promoting the country’s tech stack abroad. Just three days later, China released its own vision, the Action Plan on … Dueling Strategies for Global AI Leadership? What the U.S. and China Action Plans RevealRead more

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Legal Issues Raised by a Lethal U.S. Military Attack in the Caribbean

On Sept. 2nd, the Trump administration announced what it described as a “lethal strike” against an alleged drug smuggling vessel in the Caribbean. In a post on social media accompanied with a video of the strike, President Donald Trump stated that the attack was “against positively identified Tren … Legal Issues Raised by a Lethal U.S. Military Attack in the CaribbeanRead more

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Selling AI Chips Won’t Keep China Hooked on U.S. Technology

In August, the Trump administration reversed course on Nvidia’s H20 AI chips, lifting previous restrictions under a 15 percent revenue-share condition, and is now considering allowing exports of a slightly downgraded version of Nvidia’s Blackwell — America’s most advanced AI chip. Proponents argue it will keep Chinese developers … Selling AI Chips Won’t Keep China Hooked on U.S. TechnologyRead more

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When Law Fails Women: Jirgas, Gender Violence, and the Collapse of International Accountability

“Come, walk seven steps with me, and then you can shoot me.” These were the final words of Bano Bibi before she and Ihsan Ullah were executed by order of a tribal council, locally known as a jirga, in the southwestern Pakistan province of Balochistan for an alleged … When Law Fails Women: Jirgas, Gender Violence, and the Collapse of International AccountabilityRead more

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The Experience of Time and Tyranny Under the Taliban in Afghanistan

Four years have passed since the Taliban returned to power, ending two decades of international efforts in Afghanistan on Aug. 15, 2021. While the Taliban celebrated the day as the “conquest of Kabul,” non-Taliban groups, including members of Afghanistan’s diaspora around the world, marked the anniversary with events … The Experience of Time and Tyranny Under the Taliban in AfghanistanRead more

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America’s Climate Diplomacy Challenge and the Path to Rebuilding Credibility

No one was surprised when the United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement for a second time earlier this year. What shocked the international community were the vicious attacks on federal climate scientists and diplomats negotiating in multilateral climate fora, paired with the swift dismantling of domestic clean … America’s Climate Diplomacy Challenge and the Path to Rebuilding CredibilityRead more

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Digest of Recent Articles on Just Security (Aug. 25-29, 2025)

Russia-Ukraine War A Security Guarantee for Ukraine? Look to the Taiwan Relations Act by Philip Gordon The Fantasy of a European Reassurance Force for Ukraine by Michael Carpenter Series: Quantum Revolution Quantum Supply Chains: A Test Case for a New Economic World Order by Ulrich Mans United Nations … Digest of Recent Articles on Just Security (Aug. 25-29, 2025)Read more

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What You Need to Know About Iran Sanctions Snap Back at the UN: A Q&A with Kelsey Davenport

On August 28, the three European participants in the Iran nuclear deal initiated a process to snap back into place U.N. sanctions that had been relieved or reformulated as part of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed and implemented the deal in 2015. This Q&A, featuring Kelsey … What You Need to Know About Iran Sanctions Snap Back at the UN: A Q&A with Kelsey DavenportRead more

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The United Nations in Hindsight: The Security Council and the UN80 Initiative – What Lies Ahead?

Author’s note: Security Council Report (SCR) is an independent think tank dedicated to supporting a more effective, transparent, and accountable U.N. Security Council. A version of this article will appear in SCR’s September Monthly Forecast. In September, world leaders will converge in New York to mark the 80th … The United Nations in Hindsight: The Security Council and the UN80 Initiative – What Lies Ahead?Read more

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The Fantasy of a European Reassurance Force for Ukraine

As the diplomacy on the Russia-Ukraine War accelerates following President Donald Trump’s summit with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s consultations with Trump and European leaders in Washington, so too has talk of a European “reassurance force” for Ukraine. Those backing the proposed … The Fantasy of a European Reassurance Force for UkraineRead more

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What Just Happened? Dismantling the Intelligence Community’s Foreign Malign Influence Center

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently announced that the functions of the intelligence community’s Foreign Malign Influence Center (FMIC) would be reduced and absorbed into other parts of the U.S. intelligence community. In doing so, Gabbard has dismantled the last remaining U.S. federal government organ dedicated to … What Just Happened? Dismantling the Intelligence Community’s Foreign Malign Influence CenterRead more

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