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.
4,604 Articles
Roof Knocking and the Problem of Talking With Bombs
“Roof knocking” is a controversial method of bombing ostensibly intended to minimize civilian casualties. Israel introduced the method in its campaign in Gaza in 2008–2009,…
Recap of the Recent Posts on Just Security (May 21–27)
I. Guantánamo Jen Daskal, Guilty Pleas For GTMO Detainees (Without Ever Setting Foot on US Soil) (Monday, May 23) II. Transparency, Legality & the the Use of Force David…
Is it legal to target ISIL’s oil facilities and cash stockpiles?
An important story in yesterday’s New York Times explains how the U.S. and coalition forces have dramatically increased their targeting of ISIL’s oil facilities (including…
Important First Step by HPSCI on Pre-Publication Review Reform
Editor’s note: This post also appears on Lawfare. We are happy to learn, via Secrecy News, that the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) has weighed in constructively…
The MSF Airstrike Report: Better on the Facts Than on the Law
The military’s investigation of the October 2015 airstrike on the Médicins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan was back in the news last week thanks to highly…
Moves toward greater transparency on the use of lethal force [UPDATED]
Unless I’m overlooking something, this weekend’s strike directed at Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansur, in the province of Baluchistan, was only the second…
Guilty Pleas For GTMO Detainees (Without Ever Setting Foot on US Soil)
Last week Steve wrote about the then-not-yet public provision in the Senate version of the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would permit Guantánamo detainees…
Recap of Recent Posts on Just Security (May 14–20)
I. Guantánamo & ISIL Detainees Steve Vladeck, Can Detainees Plead Their Way Out of Guantánamo? (Tuesday, May 17) Jonathan Horowitz, The US’ Failure to Plan for ISIL…
Why Federal Agencies Must Still Preserve (and Should Finally Read) the SSCI Torture Report
This week’s news that the CIA’s Office of Inspector General destroyed two copies of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Report (SSCI Report) on the CIA’s Detention…
The US’ Failure to Plan for ISIL Detention Operations is a Flawed Approach
When it comes to detaining ISIL suspects in Iraq and Syria, the US is taking a hands-off approach. The New York Times reported last week that the US is not planning to engage in…
The Senate Killed JASTA, Then Passed It…
About a month ago, I wrote a long primer on JASTA (the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act), a bill that is designed to make it far easier for 9/11 victims and their families…
A Supplement to Steve Vladeck’s Assessment of the Supreme Court’s Treatment of Courts-Martial
Professor Steve Vladeck recently published an interesting analysis of the Supreme Court’s “troubling neglect of courts-martial,” and I agree with most of what he puts forth.…