CIVIC’s MENA and South Asia Director, Sahr Muhammedally, recently published a paper in the International Review of the Red Cross edition, “War in Cities.” In it, Sahr examined lessons learned from the AMISOM and ISAF missions in Somalia and Afghanistan, respectively, and how these lessons can be applied by armed actors to better protect civilians. Abstract: Both…
April is a tough month for CIVIC’s family and friends. Every April 16, we remember our founder and inspiration, Marla Ruzicka, who was killed in Baghdad in 2005. And on April 20, we pause to remember her friend, and friend of CIVIC, award-winning photographer Chris Hondros.
In the 16th year—and third administration—of the US war against al-Qaeda and affiliated forces, questions remain in both policy and law about how the US government will approach the use of lethal force in counterterrorism operations. What is the prognosis for preserving or replacing the Presidential Policy Guidance and related Executive Orders? How will operational decisions…
Despite well-publicized and often unacceptable failures, proposed budget cuts by the United States would undo what good has been done to make UN peacekeepers better able to protect vulnerable civilians.
Civilians stay in war zones for all sorts of reasons: They may lack the resources to leave, or have no other place to go. They may be unwilling to leave vulnerable family members, may not want to leave their homes, or — most likely — they are not allowed to leave. There are 3,000 to 4,000 fighters in Raqqa, compared to 400,000 civilians.
Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) on Monday announced the addition of two staff members in January 2017, as it prepares to expand its operations and mission to improve protection for civilians caught in conflicts around the world. It also created the new position of Senior Military Advisor. Dan Mahanty, formerly of the U.S. Department…
By Alex Liffiton, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) On July 1, 2016, President Obama issued an Executive Order (EO) on Pre- and Post-Strike Policies on Civilian Casualties in United States operations using force. Eight days later the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) released their Policy for the Protection of Civilians. The details are similar…
On Aug. 6, following an order by a federal judge in a suit brought by the ACLU, President Obama finally released his “playbook” for the use of lethal force against terrorist targets. The guidance—more specifically, the “procedures for approving direct action against terrorist targets located outside the United States and areas of active hostilities”—is…
It took a decade of advocacy and practical progress on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan to get to President Obama’s executive order on the protection of civilians, which was released on July 1. The effort included numerous players including non-governmental organizations and military and government officials—all concerned about the lack of standing civilian harm…