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.
4,601 Articles
Public Opinion, International Law, and Drone Strikes: Some Reflections
We commend Professor Charles Dunlap for his excellent recent post on international law and public support for drone strikes. As he notes, there are many points of agreement between…
Understanding the “end of war” dispute in the al Warafi habeas case
Attorneys for Mukhtar Yahia Naji al Warafi have filed their reply brief in the habeas action challenging al Warafi’s continued military detention at Guantánamo. As I have previously explained,…
Casualties and Polls: Some Observations
In a recent post provocatively entitled “New Poll: American Support for Drone Strikes Plummets When Innocent US Civilians Killed,” Just Security’s editor Ryan Goodman energetically…
DOJ Guidance on Cybersecurity Carrots and Sticks
In a speech yesterday to the annual Cybersecurity Law Institute, Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell showed how far the Department of Justice has come in its dealings with…
Transcript: FBI Director Says Authors of Encryption Letter Are Uninformed or Not Fair-Minded
Earlier today, FBI Director James Comey implied that a broad coalition of technology companies, trade associations, civil society groups, and security experts were either uninformed…
The UN’s “Universal Periodic Review” of US Human Rights Practices—National Security Highlights
Last week, the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review released a draft of its report on the United States’ UPR. The UPR is a process during…
German Cooperation With NSA Spies Broader Than We Knew
Late last month Der Spiegel reported that the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, participated in and directly supported the National Security…
Confirm the Legal Adviser
The Harry S. Truman Building, the State Department’s headquarters. Image credit: Ctac via Wikimedia Commons. This post is the latest installment of our “Monday Reflections”…
U.S. Special Forces kill ISIL leader, detain another, during capture operation in Syria [UPDATED]
Here’s the statement the Secretary of Defense issued this morning: Release No: NR-175-15 May 16, 2015 Statement by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on Counter-ISIL Operation…
Congress Just Gave the President Power to Adopt a Binding Legal Agreement with Iran
With a veto-proof majority, Congress has now adopted the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, which is purportedly designed to enforce Congress’ constitutional prerogatives.…
Tightening the National Security Ratchet
A ratchet is a device that employs mechanical impediments to allow movement in only one direction. As such, it is a useful metaphor for national security policy, where restrictive…
What ACLU v. Clapper Means
Many others have already weighed in about the significance of last week’s ruling in ACLU v. Clapper. Here are my own quick thoughts. As regular readers of this blog already know,…