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.
4,801 Articles
Suggestions for clarifying/amending the President’s draft ISIL AUMF
It’s a good start. If enacted, the draft Authorization for Use of Military Force that President Obama proposed yesterday would not materially affect the way in which the…
Reader’s Guide to Just Security Analysis for an ISIL AUMF [Updated]
I. Design of the ISIL-Specific AUMF Avoiding Unnecessary Wars and Preserving Accountability: Principles for an ISIL-Specific AUMF (Ryan Goodman & Steve Vladeck: Nov. 10, 2014)…
Don’t Overvalue a Sunset in the AUMF: Start Talking About the Conditions When Wars Could End
More than six months after American bombs started falling in Iraq and Syria, President Barack Obama has finally submitted his proposal for authorizing the military campaign targeting…
Video of How to End the Forever War and Fight ISIL: Q&A with Harold Koh
How can the United States wind down operations in Afghanistan responsibly? Is there likely to be an end to “armed conflict” with al Qaeda anytime soon? What role does…
White House Sends Proposed ISIL AUMF to Congress (full text)
Today, the White House is sending a proposed draft of an Islamic State-specific authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) to Congress. Expect more on this in the days…
Letter to President Obama on 2001 AUMF Sunset
Earlier today, a group of legal experts–including Rosa Brooks, Sarah Cleveland, Jen Daskal, Walter Dellinger, Ryan Goodman, Rebecca Ingber, Harold Koh, and I–sent a letter…
The US Should Not Rush to Arm Ukraine
Last weekend, a group of think tanks led by the Brookings Institution began to preview their upcoming report on why it is time for the US to arm Ukraine in its conflict with Russia…
A comprehensive summary of GTMO policy, practices and prospects
It’s all here in the prepared testimony of Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Brian McKeon before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday morning. Most…
The D.C. Circuit, Samoan Citizenship, and the Insular Cases
Much has already been written about next Tuesday’s D.C. Circuit argument in In re al-Nashiri, an important case arising out of the Guantánamo military commissions. The…
The Newest Reforms on SIGINT Collection Still Leave Loopholes
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper this morning released a report detailing new rules aimed at reforming the way signals intelligence is collected and stored by certain…
Military Commissions and Unintended Constitutional Consequences
Over at Lawfare, I have a post up this morning providing a preview of next Tuesday’s oral argument in the D.C. Circuit in In re al-Nashiri–a mandamus action challenging…
Homeland Insecurity: Checkpoints, Warrantless Searches and Security Theater
Since June 2013, the American public, press, and policy-makers have been debating the implications of Edward Snowden’s disclosures of mass U.S. government surveillance programs,…