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.
4,757 Articles
AI, Law of Armed Conflict, and “Liminal” Conflict Among Technological Peer Great Powers
Above: People look at drones the Ukrainian government claims it recovered in eastern Ukraine that prove direct Russian involvement in the fighting between Ukrainian troops and…
The Intel Community’s Annual Transparency Report Raises More Questions Than It Answers
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence's new mandatory report, summarizing certain intelligence agencies’ surveillance activities in 2017, is one of the most important…
What the Heck is Happening in Al-Nashiri?: The Ten-Layer Dip at the Heart of the Latest Guantánamo Mess
It’s hard to imagine a better microcosm of everything that’s gone wrong with the Guantánamo military commissions than the current headaches arising out of the prosecution…
With Western Diplomacy Under Assault, Only European Stewardship Can Save It
The “Free World,” as a term for the global community of free-market democracies, owes its origins to Frank Capra’s 1943 propaganda film, Why We Fight, which laid out the…
DHS: Not Entitled to Its Own Facts
Despite DHS’s breathless claims to the contrary, its numbers don’t demonstrate a "continuing security crisis" along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Ambiguity in the Conduct of Hostilities
This article is the latest in our Fog of Law series that examines the gray zones in international law and conflict that can be exploited by states. The series comes in advance…
Just Security Podcast: Laura Rozen on the Iran Deal
On a day that felt like it was dominated by headlines about Gina Haspel, Michael Cohen, and American hostages being freed from North Korea, Al-Monitor Diplomatic Correspondent…
Can An Insider Save CIA From Itself?
As confirmation hearings loom for Gina Haspel to be director of CIA, the focus has understandably been on what actions she might have taken in the Agency’s enhanced interrogation…
Time to Dust Off the War Crimes Act?–for an American ex-soldier now in command of UAE forces
Former members of the U.S. military are present in armed conflicts across the globe. Working for private military contractors, they are typically tasked with training and advising…
Gina Haspel and the Elusive Shadow of CIA Torture: A Response to Ben Wittes
"At Lawfare, Ben Wittes has a long post up titled 'Why I Support Gina Haspel—Despite a Big Reservation.' ... But the core of Ben's post is based on a point on which he and I…
Just Security Podcast: Mike Breen on the US Abandoning the Iran Nuclear Deal
President Donald Trump announces his decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in the Diplomatic Room at the White House May 8, 2018. (Photo by Chip…
In Defense of Sovereignty in Cyberspace
This article is the latest in our Fog of Law series that examines the gray zones in international law and conflict that can be exploited by states. The series comes in advance…