Congress
Just Security’s expert authors offer analysis of U.S. Congress’ role in national security, foreign affairs, the rule of law, and rights. Coverage includes analysis and informational resources related to the legislative process, oversight and investigations of the executive branch, and major debates on the separation of powers and Congress’ constitutional role.
2,544 Articles
Why Do We Talk About Torture The Way We Do?
Editors’ Note: The following post is the latest installment of our “Monday Reflections” feature, in which a different Just Security editor examines the big stories from…
Recap of Recent Posts at Just Security (Dec 6-12)
I. Torture A. Senate Intelligence Committee Torture Report Just Security, Senate Report on Interrogation Program – Executive Summary and Opposing Views (Tuesday, Dec. 9) Steve…
The Torture Report is Only the First Step
Ed Note. This piece also appears in Foreign Policy. Great nations admit and learn from their mistakes. The United States took a major step forward this week with the long-delayed…
The Cost-Benefit Analysis: The Preventive Value of the Senate Torture Report
Amidst the full-throated defense of the CIA’s interrogation tactics (see, e.g., Cheney – “I’d do it again”), the President’s refusal to state whether or not abusive…
CIA Director Brennan’s Comment on the Torture Report, and Senator Feinstein’s Reply to Brennan
CIA Director John Brennan spoke today about the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on the interrogation program run by the CIA after September 11th. His remarks are available…
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Approves ISIL AUMF and Sunset of 2001 AUMF
On Thursday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a draft authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) against ISIL (full text) by a margin of 10-8 along party…
Five Torturous Steps to Hell
In a short and early section of the SSCI’s redacted summary of its torture report, we can read about the step-by-step descent from humanity to inhumanity, from the 20th century…
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Markup of Draft AUMF against ISIL
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee markup of the draft Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) against ISIL is happening now. Watch here.
The Torture Report and the “Glomar Fig Leaf”
The Glomar Explorer, the CIA ship after which the much-abused legal doctrine is named Buried in the SSCI’s report is an arresting passage that suggests that the CIA was quietly…
Guest Post: They Knew It Was Illegal
The Senate Intelligence Committee report released December 9 confirms many already-reported facts about the CIA torture program, including the agency’s use of brutal stress positions,…
State Responsibility and Reparation for Torture as a Violation of IHL
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) yesterday released the redacted executive summary of its report on the CIA’s rendition, detention and interrogation program.…
Torture: Unreliable and Inestimably Costly
A few years ago, I served as a member of the Constitution Project’s Task Force on Detainee Treatment – an 11-member, bi-partisan group of former, high-ranking officials in…