The article published by Mitt Regan and Aurel Sari at the Lieber Institute West Point introduces a recent book and symposium addressing hybrid threats and grey zone conflicts. These conflicts reside in ambiguous areas below recognized armed conflict and involve combinations of military, political, economic, and informational coercion. The authors detail the challenges liberal democracies face in defining these threats within traditional legal frameworks, noting that grey zones complicate application of international law due to continuous contestation and covert tactics. The symposium analyzes the tensions between power politics and rule of law, the evolving international legal responses including the Potential Presumption of International Law of 2016, and the ethical principles needed for democratic states confronting such tactics. The work stresses that hybrid threats exploit vulnerabilities in liberal democracies through legal and ethical ambiguity, coercive measures, and normalized violations, requiring a reevaluation of defence strategies and international norms. The article also examines the volume structure of the book and key chapter summaries highlighting topics such as the legal challenges of hybrid conflicts, the blending of military and political tactics, and recommendations for strengthening democratic responses.

The article published by Mitt Regan and Aurel Sari at the Lieber Institute West Point introduces a recent book and symposium addressing hybrid threats and grey zone conflicts. These conflicts reside in ambiguous areas below recognized armed conflict and involve combinations of military, political, economic, and informational coercion. The authors detail the challenges liberal democracies face in defining these threats within traditional legal frameworks, noting that grey zones complicate application of international law due to continuous contestation and covert tactics. The symposium analyzes the tensions between power politics and rule of law, the evolving international legal responses including the Potential Presumption of International Law of 2016, and the ethical principles needed for democratic states confronting such tactics. The work stresses that hybrid threats exploit vulnerabilities in liberal democracies through legal and ethical ambiguity, coercive measures, and normalized violations, requiring a reevaluation of defence strategies and international norms. The article also examines the volume structure of the book and key chapter summaries highlighting topics such as the legal challenges of hybrid conflicts, the blending of military and political tactics, and recommendations for strengthening democratic responses.