Executive Branch

Just Security’s expert authors provide analysis of the U.S. executive branch related to national security, rights, and the rule of law. Analysis and informational resources focus on the executive branch’s powers and their limits, and the actions of the president, administrative agencies, and federal officials.

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4,711 Articles
A collage of witnesses called to testify during the Ukraine Impeachment Inquiry.

A Who’s Who of Ukraine Witnesses

A guide to all of the witnesses who have either testified or have been requested to testify in the impeachment inquiry.
Will Hurd, Elissa Slotkin, Andy Kim, and Lisa Monaco speak at the Reiss Center on Law and Security event “From the Executive Branch to Congress: National Security Leaders Who Crossed the Divide.”

Event Roundup: From the Executive Branch to Congress – National Security Leaders Who Crossed the Divide

What is it like to go from working in the executive branch – whether it’s in the White House, the Pentagon, or the CIA – to being a lawmaker on Capitol Hill? That was the…
ODNI Seal

Leaving the DNI Leaderless is Reckless and Dangerous

Despite the critically important role of the director of national intelligence, this week marks the third straight month that the top two positions in the Office of the DNI have…
A member of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) stands on guard past US military armoured vehicles and soldiers on patrol near an oil well in Rumaylan (Rmeilan) in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on November 6, 2019.

The US Mission Tied to Syrian Oil Fields May Prove the Worst of All Strategic Options

"What seems like a well-intentioned effort to mitigate a mess of Trump’s own making ultimately could make matters worse."
A Coalition member hangs an 81-millimeter mortar prior to launching it at a known ISIS location near the Iraqi-Syrian border, May 13, 2018.

Congress Must Act to Protect Those Who’ve Supported Us in Syria

Congress should pass comprehensive legislation mirroring the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act to provide similar options for our Kurdish partners and others in Syria who are in danger.…
Pedestrians walk along a road in Kabul on October 17, 2019.

CIA-Backed Afghan Paramilitaries Behind Unlawful Killing Surge

In incidents across Afghanistan, these strike forces have unlawfully killed civilians, forcibly disappeared detainees, and attacked healthcare facilities for allegedly treating…
Turkish-born German writer Dogan Akhanli holds a press conference at the lower house of the Spanish Parliament, Las Cortes, in Madrid, on August 30, 2017.

Interpol Proves Critics Right in Choosing Turkey to Host General Assembly

Allowing Turkey to host the general assembly could be used by Interpol as an opportunity to rein in despotic regimes abusing the Red Notice system for political gain. Unfortunately,…
John Solomon

A Dozen Questions for John Solomon

Twelve questions for Solomon who the Post said “played an important role in advancing a flawed, Trump-friendly tale of corruption in Ukraine.”
A collage of photos from the founding of the UN between April and June of 1945.

“Clearly of Latin American Origin”: Armed Attack by Non-State Actors and the UN Charter

"The text, context, and preparatory work of Article 51 of the Charter show that it permits only the use of armed force in self-defense against an armed attack by a State."
Laura Cooper, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia arrives for a closed-door deposition at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on October 30, 2019.

Executive Privilege is No Bar to Testimony Before Impeachment Investigators

Impeachment is different from regular congressional oversight. Witnesses summoned to appear before the House Intelligence Committee should not view executive privilege as standing…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky leaves a search and rescue ship in the port city of Mariupol on June 15, 2019, after a military exercises in the Sea of Azov.

Why Does Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Say He Felt No Pressure From Trump?

Ukraine’s new president has played along with Trump -- in their July 25 phone call and in remarks since then. That has allowed the Trump-Giuliani camp to cite his statements…
Trump speaks in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House in Washington, DC, October 23, 2019 as US Vice President Mike Pence and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo look on.

How Trump Could Really End “Endless Wars”

If Trump were serious about his professed desire to end endless wars, he would offer a responsible plan for repealing the statutory authorization that three successive administrations…
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