Trump administration changing the way America deals with drug cartels
In early June, the United States killed the alleged leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua using a precision missile strike to hit a small building in the Venezuelan countryside. The killing of Héctor “El Niño” Guerrero was reminiscent of U.S. strikes against terrorist targets in the Middle East during the war on terrorism. […]
Panel of experts discusses MOU in Iran conflict
Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that appears to bring Operation Epic Fury to a close, Perry World House brought together a panel of experts to discuss the deal, including CERL Affiliated Faculty Member Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet. Professor Kashani-Sabet spoke about the opportunity peace offers for both Iran and the United States to move […]
Future use of Insurrection Act in the hands of the courts
In the Supreme Court case Trump v. Illinois, the Court ruled that in order to federalize the National Guard under 10 U.S.C. § 12406(3), the president would need to demonstrate that he is unable to execute federal law with regular U.S. military forces. However, the majority also made clear that § 12406 is not excluded […]
Erosion of legal norms after 9/11
In an episode of the Lawyering Without Law podcast, created by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, CERL Executive Board Member Alberto Mora discusses his time serving as the General Counsel of the Navy during the George W. Bush administration. During his tenure, he discovered that torture was being sanctioned by the highest levels of […]
Potential peace deal looming in Iran conflict
President Trump has threatened to launch attacks against Kharg Island, the central site of the Iranian regime’s energy exports. Quoted in an article from The War Zone, CERL Executive Board Member General Joseph Votel said that seizing the island would be a “significant undertaking,” requiring upwards of 1000 soldiers to accomplish. Speaking with NPR and […]
Gender sensitive reparations mechanisms essential to repair damage of enforced disappearances
The United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearance recently adopted a first draft of a comment on the impact of enforced disappearances on women and girls. CERL Affiliated Faculty Member Rangita de Silva de Alwis discusses the importance of gender- sensitive reparation policies that will help women and girls affected by enforced disappears regain their agency […]
Trump admin AI memo has a ‘credibility problem’
Earlier this month, the Trump administration released a document called the National Security Presidential Memorandum 11, which instructs security agencies to accelerate AI adoption and removes previous Biden administration restrictions. In an article published by the Council on Foreign Relations, CERL Affiliated Faculty Member Michael Horowitz states that while the document pushes for some commonsense […]
Building responsibility into sanctions systems
In an article published at Just Security, Professor William Burke-White, member of CERL’s Affiliated Faculty, discusses how sanctions can give rise to corruption in cases where legal prohibitions and the authorized channels for economic activity are uncertain or fragmented. This ambiguity can arise when countries translate international law into domestic law, from differences across domestic […]
United States must confront past abuses in Guantánamo says expert
Writing for Newsweek, CERL Advisory Council Member Mark Fallon discusses how military commissions established at Guantánamo Bay continue to consider cases related to the USS Cole bombing and the September 11 attacks. He argues that much of the decision-making that led to the dysfunction at the detention facility ties back to the misuse of psychological […]
Sanctions against UN Special Rapporteur temporarily reinstated
In an update to an article published last week, CERL Advisory Council Member Orde Kittrie reported that a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals issued an administrative stay that cleared the executive branch to enforce sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for “human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967,” […]
Families of those killed in boat strikes could seek accountability in international courts
In an opinion at Just Security, CERL Advisory Council Member Benjamin R. Farley and his coauthors discuss whether and how there will be accountability for the U.S. boat strike campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The authors do not rule out the possibility of domestic American courts convicting those involved in carrying out the boat […]
Both Iran and United States exploring options as talks continue
In a series of interviews with Fox News, CERL Executive Board Member General Joseph Votel discusses Iran “hedging its bets” by continuing negotiations while also appearing to send out ships to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to leverage the possibility of renewed strikes if diplomacy fails. General Votel […]
Women’s freedom of association increasingly under threat
In March of 2026, the United Nations Human Rights Committee called for input on its first draft of a “General Comment” on the Freedom of Association under Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that was first proposed in July of 2025. At The Regulatory Review, Affiliated Faculty Member Rangita de […]
Sanctions against UN Special Rapporteur being debated in court
On May 13, 2026, federal district court judge Richard Leon paused U.S. sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for “human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967,” citing First Amendment free speech protections. CERL Advisory Council Member Orde Kittrie argues in an article posted to the website of Foundation for Defense of […]
Iranian military capacity still cause for concern, says ex-CENTCOM commander
In an interview with Fox News, CERL Executive Board Member General Joseph Votel expresses concern about Iran’s ability, albeit diminished, to launch drones and missiles at its neighbors and U.S. asset and discusses NATO’s reticence to get involved in the Iran war. General Joseph L. Votel, U.S. Army (Ret.), is the former Commander of the […]
Trump administration faces potential setbacks in important Supreme Court cases
The Supreme Court is expected to decide four critical cases by the end of June 2026. The cases concern the Trump administration’s authority to remove a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, remove a member of the Federal Trade Commission, remove protected status for a number of immigrants from Haiti and Syria, and […]
The promises and concerns of military neuroenhancement
At Bioethics Today, Professor Łukasz Kamieński, a Fulbright visiting scholar at CERL, discusses the concerns raised by military neuroenhancement, explaining that while AI-assisted closed-loop brain-computer interface (AI-BCI) could offer advantages on the battlefield, there are real risks. Soldiers enhanced with AI-BCI may have degraded decision-making autonomy in addition to altered human reasoning that favors predictive […]
AI race well underway between US and China
Speaking to NPR, CERL Affiliated Faculty Member Michael Horowitz analyzes the state of AI in the United States and China. While American AI programs and companies may have the edge in overall quality, the Chinese competitors may be better integrated into the government and economy. Professor Horowitz points out that Chinese AI models are cheaper […]
Tensions remain high as US and Iran exchange proposals to end war
In an interview with NPR, CERL Executive Board Member General Joseph Votel discusses the military situation in Iran as negotiations over ending the war continue. While the ceasefire seems to be holding politically, there have been incidents of both sides committing strikes against each other during the ceasefire. General Votel notes that the military has […]
Former CENTCOM commander speaks about importance of staff judge advocates
On May 7, 2026, CERL Executive Board Member General Joseph Votel gave special remarks at the Judge Advocates Association/Judge Advocates Foundation 2026 Awards Dinner about the importance of staff judge advocates in the conduct of American military operations. He highlighted the critical role judge advocates play in navigating the difficult legal questions that arise on […]
Killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sparks debate about legality of killing heads of state
CERL Advisory Council Member Geoffrey Corn is quoted in an article at Washington Monthly discussing what the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, means in the context of international law and conduct in modern warfare. Geoffrey S. Corn is the George R. Killam, Jr. Chair of Criminal Law and Director of the Center […]
U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline comes and goes under intense tension
CERL Executive Board Member General Joseph Votel appeared on Fox News several times before and after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire expiration deadline, analyzing both what the United States would need to do to bring the Iranian government to the negotiating table prior to the ceasefire expiring and what options might be available for the American military […]
Georgetown University panel discusses Pope Leo’s response to Iran war
A panel of experts hosted by Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life addressed Pope Leo’s calls for peace and reconciliation amid growing tension between the White House and the Vatican, NCR reports. CERL Advisory Council Member Mary Ellen O’Connell, speaking on the panel, stated that Pope Leo’s words affirmed international law […]
International law experts discuss possible violations of international law in war in Iran
More than 100 international law experts signed a letter, published on April 2, 2026, that expressed concern about the conduct of the United States government and military in the war in Iran. In a coauthored piece for Just Security, CERL Advisory Council Member takes issue with a section of the letter concluding that the U.S. strike […]
Trump administration threats against Iranian infrastructure pose serious risks to US military legitimacy
In an article published by The Dispatch, CERL Advisory Council Member Geoffrey Corn argues that President Trump’s threats against Iranian civilian infrastructure, including bridges, power plants, and even possibly desalination facilities, create serious problems for United States military personnel. These threats also cede the high ground to the Iranian regime and casts serious doubt on the legitimacy of […]
Indiscriminate targeting of infrastructure is a clear violation of international humanitarian law
One principal aspect of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is the rule that militaries are required to use force only against enemy combatants or military objectives, writes CERL Advisory Council Member Benjamin Farley at Foreign Policy. President Trump’s repeated threats against all Iranian infrastructure, far from distinguishing military from civilian targets, would violate IHL if executed. Benjamin R. Farley is special counsel […]
After Secretary Hegseth declares victory on the battlefield, former CENTCOM commander discusses what comes next
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he believes Operation Epic Fury was “a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield.” On ABC News, CERL Executive Board Member General Joseph Votel shares his thoughts on the state of the conflict and what might come next, discussing the importance of diplomacy in the coming weeks, the clear efficacy of the United States armed […]
What the ceasefire means for the war in Iran
In appearances on NPR and Fox News, CERL Executive Board Member General Joseph Votel discusses the current state of the war in Iran after the Trump administration’s announcement of a ceasefire. He also considers the possibility of renewed American military intervention if Iran follows through on its missile threats. General Joseph L. Votel, U.S. Army (Ret.), […]
LUCAS drones are now indispensable part of American military arsenal
The LUCAS drone, or Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System, is the first of its type used by the United States on a large scale. Unlike other drones, this system carries its payload in its nose and delivers that payload by crashing directly into its target. In two separate interviews, one written in The War Zone and one […]