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.
4,713 Articles
The Iran Nuclear Interregnum: From Framework to Final Deal
This post is the latest installment of our “Monday Reflections” feature, in which a different Just Security editor examines the big stories from the previous week or looks…
Guest Post: To Ban New Weapons or Regulate Their Use?
In January, I highlighted the apparent anomaly of international law’s ban on laser weapons that are “specifically designed … to cause permanent blindness” while permitting…
The “parameters” of the agreement respecting Iran’s nuclear program
as described by the U.S. delegation, can be found here. The document sets forth the “key parameters of a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) regarding the Islamic…
The Cyber Sanctions Executive Order: What Will It Do and Will It Work?
In an Executive Order issued yesterday, the White House established a new sanctions regime for “significant malicious cyber-enabled activities,” including harming or impeding…
A Reply to Janina Dill: Common Ground
We firmly agree with Prof. Janina Dill that a broader societal understanding of civilian harm during wartime and how civilians view that harm is an important aspect of understanding…
Court Denies FOIA Request for Panetta Review on CIA Torture
U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg today said that the CIA is not obligated to release the Panetta Review, an internal review of the CIA’s torture program that was heavily…
Associated Forces: Why the Differences between ISIL and al-Qaeda Matter
Members of Ansar Dine in Timbuktu, Mali. Image credit: Magharebia via Wikimedia Commons. This post is the latest installment of our “Monday Reflections” feature, in which a…
Diplomatic Assurances, Torture, and Judicial Review:
The Bimenyimana Appeal
Later this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit will hear argument in one of the more quietly important torture cases to come before the federal courts in the…
“Proportionate” Collateral Damage and Why We Should Care About What Civilians Think
In their recent blog post “Surveying Proportionality: Whither the Reasonable Military Commander?” Laurie Blank, Geoffrey S. Corn, and Eric Jensen level three criticisms against…
International Law on the Saudi-Led Military Operations in Yemen
On Wednesday night, Saudi Arabia launched a military intervention in Yemen to stop Houthi advances through the country. Calling it “Operation Decisive Storm,” Saudi Arabia…
Ninth Circuit Grants En Banc Rehearing in Posse Comitatus / Unlawful Surveillance Case
Back in September, I wrote about the Ninth Circuit’s fascinating decision in United States v. Dreyer, which applied the exclusionary rule to suppress evidence obtained…
Surveying Proportionality: Whither the Reasonable Commander?
At least two surveys gathering information about “public perceptions” of proportionality and collateral damage are making their way around the international arena by way of…