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.
4,594 Articles

Reply to Charlie Dunlap on Sexual Assault Reform Proposals
In this post, I offer this reply to Charlie Dunlap’s post (the “Post”), as well as his underlying essay (the “Essay”), in which he provides full-throated opposition to…

Excerpts of Interview with Seymour Hersh
In a video interview with Amy Goodman (no relation) aired today on Democracy Now!, Sy Hersh elaborates on his story published in the London Review of Book (LRB). Below are some…

Top Ten Reasons Sen. Gillibrand’s Bill is the Wrong Solution to Military Sexual Assault
[Editor’s Note: Today’s Guest Post from Gen. Dunlap is, in part, a response to an earlier post from Andy Wright on the current congressional reform proposals addressing…

“Tweet Roll”: Twitter Reacts to Seymour Hersh Article on Sarin Attack in Syria
As Ruchi Parekh reported in this morning’s Daily News Roundup, Seymour Hersh has published a provocative and important piece in the London Review of Books, in which he…

Associated Forces, Material Support, and the Hidden Flaws in Ali v. Obama
As Steve previously noted over at Lawfare, on Tuesday, the D.C. Circuit affirmed the denial of yet another Guantánamo habeas petition in Ali v. Obama. Specifically, the court…

Joint Letter from NGOs and Human Rights Groups to President Obama on Drone Program
Yesterday, a group of civil liberties and human rights groups wrote a joint letter to President Obama sharing their concerns with the U.S. drone program. The group, which includes…

Latest Snowden Documents Show NSA Tracks Americans’ Cell Location Data
Today’s Washington Post report that the National Security Agency (NSA) is gathering nearly 5 billion records a day on the whereabouts of cellphones around the world should light…

Summary of New Report from the ICRC
Last month, the ICRC released a 90-plus page report titled, “The Use of Force in Armed Conflict: Interplay between the Conduct of Hostilities and Law Enforcement Paradigms.”…

Pentagon Ends Daily Hunger Strike Reports: Whither Transparency?
In warfare, many military actions must remain secret. Calls for “greater transparency” are often too simplistic and fail to properly accommodate pressing national security…

European Court Urged to “Break Conspiracy of Silence” on CIA Black Sites in Europe
On December 3, attorneys for two Guantánamo detainees argued before the European Court of Human Rights that Poland bears responsibility for the torture, disappearance, and unlawful…

Senators Call on Obama Administration to Provide the Public More Information on Drone Strikes
Last week, just before the Thanksgiving break, Senators Wyden, Udall and Heinrich sent Attorney General Eric Holder an important Thank You note. In their Nov. 26 letter, the senators…

Iran’s Right to Enrichment
Whether Iran is possessed of a right to enrich uranium is said to be the central question in its negotiations with the P5+1. It should not be. Neither side’s argument is…