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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Attorney General nominee William Barr testifies at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee January 15, 2019 in Washington, DC.

What Congress Should Ask Bill Barr When He Testifies

Think we are missing some crucial questions? Send us a note ([email protected]) and we can add your question to the list with attribution.
Camp Justice, site of the US war crimes tribunal compound at Guantanamo Bay US Naval Base, Cuba, July 15, 2009.

The September 11 Military Commissions Trudge On

Nearly two decades after the September 11 attacks, we are still waiting for justice to be administered to the majority of the Al Qaeda suspects being held at Guantanamo—including…
Police arrest activists demonstrating against anti-immigration policies near the US-Mexico border fence at Imperial beach in San Diego county, US on December 10, 2018.

CBP’s New Social Media Surveillance: A Threat to Free Speech and Privacy

U.S. Customs and Border Protection's efforts to map out the networks and activities of American activists and journalists through link analysis and social media monitoring pose…
A set of pendulum balls with the Russian, American, NATO, and European Union flags. The ball with the Russian flag swings towards the balls with the other flags.

Trump Administration’s New Cuba Policy Threatens Discord With U.S. Allies

Last week, National Security Advisor John Bolton announced a major shift in U.S. policy toward Cuba intended, in part, to punish Havana for supporting the Maduro regime in Venezuela.…
Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and Iraqi human rights activist Nadia Murad Basee Taha attend a United Nations Security Council meeting at U.N. headquarters, April 23, 2019 in New York City.

Gutting the Substance of a Security Council Resolution on Sexual Violence

The United States has abandoned any meaningful commitment to victims and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, in the interest of appeasing domestic anti-abortion constituencies.…
International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda (C) sits at the courtroom of the International Criminal Court (ICC) during the closing statements of the trial of former Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda in the Hague, the Netherlands, on August 28, 2018.

Deconstructing the Int’l Criminal Court’s Decision on Afghanistan

The decision of the International Criminal Court’s Pre-Trial Chamber II refusing to open an investigation into crimes committed in Afghanistan establishes a new Rome Statute…
Trump talks to Giuliani as they exit the clubhouse following their meeting at Trump International Golf Club, November 20, 2016 in Bedminster Township, New Jersey.

Mueller Report and the President’s Personal Lawyers: Did They Violate Criminal Law and Ethical Rules?

Leading legal ethics professor analyzes the criminal law and ethical rules that would apply in light of conduct of Trumps personal lawyers revealed in the Mueller Report.
Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford and Patrick M. Shanahan, Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense, are seen before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on April 11, 2019 in Washington, DC.

New DoD Policy on Amends Needs to Address Transparency Gap

New information from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) reveals a previously unrecognized transparency gap in the U.S. military’s efforts to acknowledge and address civilian…

Trump Endorses U.S. Citizen-Turned Libyan Warlord, Despite Video Evidence of Haftar’s Ordering War Crimes

"While American news networks were gripped by blanket coverage of the Mueller report on Friday, the White House released a statement describing a most unusual and supportive phone…

A Brief Aside on the Inexplicable May 2017 Rosenstein Memo About Comey

This is hardly the most important thing about the Mueller Report, but it warrants a short note, if only to fill out the historical record. When President Trump removed FBI Director…
Presidential Seal President USA Coat Of Arms

Word-Searchable Version of Mueller Report

Please find below Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller’s Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election. Word-searchable PDF versions:…

The (Redacted) Mueller Report: First Takes from the Experts

A roundup of leading experts' views on the publicly released — and redacted — Mueller report.
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