Intelligence & Surveillance

Just Security’s expert authors provide legal and policy analysis of intelligence and surveillance activities, focusing on their impact on national security and on civil liberties and privacy rights, and their oversight by Congress and the courts.

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Trump and Barr

Clear Goal of Barr/Durham Probe is to Scare Off Intelligence Community

In order for their counter-narrative to stick, President Trump and his associates need to destroy all trust in the Intelligence Community.
Fiona Hill, the former top Russia expert on the National Security Council, testifies during the House Intelligence Committee hearing as part of the impeachment inquiry into US President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on November 21, 2019. David Holmes sits next to her.

Fiona Hill: A “Domestic Political Errand” Eclipsed the “Regular Channel” on Ukraine Policy

Hill’s testimony clarified that what had appeared to be the secretive “irregular” channel actually had sign-off from the president. And while several career officials charged…
Ranking member Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) questions National Security Council Director for European Affairs Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams, adviser to Vice President Mike Pence for European and Russian affairs during testimony before the House Intelligence Committee in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill November 19, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Trump and GOP Call to ID Whistleblower Exposes Glaring Gaps in Protections

There are punishments for disclosing a whistleblower's identity in such a case. But the entire system is a patchwork of laws that needs to be rethought.
Amb. William Taylor and Deputy Assistant Secretary Of State George Kent testify at Impeachment Hearing

Highlights of Taylor-Kent Hearing and Connections to Other Witnesses

Key takeaways from the first day of public hearings in the House impeachment inquiry, with crucial insights from top experts on Ukraine, congressional oversight, and rule of law.
A collage of witnesses called to testify during the Ukraine Impeachment Inquiry.

A Who’s Who of Ukraine Witnesses

A guide to all of the witnesses who have either testified or have been requested to testify in the impeachment inquiry.
Will Hurd, Elissa Slotkin, Andy Kim, and Lisa Monaco speak at the Reiss Center on Law and Security event “From the Executive Branch to Congress: National Security Leaders Who Crossed the Divide.”

Event Roundup: From the Executive Branch to Congress – National Security Leaders Who Crossed the Divide

What is it like to go from working in the executive branch – whether it’s in the White House, the Pentagon, or the CIA – to being a lawmaker on Capitol Hill? That was the…
ODNI Seal

Leaving the DNI Leaderless is Reckless and Dangerous

Despite the critically important role of the director of national intelligence, this week marks the third straight month that the top two positions in the Office of the DNI have…
Pedestrians walk along a road in Kabul on October 17, 2019.

CIA-Backed Afghan Paramilitaries Behind Unlawful Killing Surge

In incidents across Afghanistan, these strike forces have unlawfully killed civilians, forcibly disappeared detainees, and attacked healthcare facilities for allegedly treating…
Six former directors of the Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) testify before the House Select Intelligence Committee on restructuring the intelligence community 22 May on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. Seated (L to R) is Richard Helms, William Colby, James Schlesinger, William Webster, Stansfield Turner, and James Woolsey.

A Program on Intelligence Operations in Liberal Democracies: Ethics, Efficacy, and Accountability

Just Security readers in the D.C. area might be interested in a terrific program we’re convening here at the Georgetown University Law Center this Thursday afternoon at 5:30,…
Side by side photographs of Declan Walsh, Iyad El-Baghdadi, Jamal Khashoggi, and Omar Abdulaziz.

Duty to Warn: Has the Trump Administration Learned from the Khashoggi Failure?

This attitude shift alone, if it has indeed taken place, is commendable, but should not reduce scrutiny of what happened in the Declan Walsh case.
Puzzle Pieces with the American and United Kingdom flags and wires

Correcting the Record: Wiretaps, the CLOUD Act, and the US-UK Agreement

Over at Stanford CIS blog, Albert Gidari takes aim at the wiretap-related provisions in the US-UK CLOUD Act Agreement – which Peter Swire and I wrote about separately here. He…
House Republicans gather to speak at a press conference organized by Rep. Matt Gaetz, (R-FL), on Capitol Hill on October 23, 2019 in Washington, DC.

GOP “Storming” of Secure Facility for Impeachment Proceedings: An Explainer

How does a "SCIF" work, and can members of Congress be penalized for their en masse protest of testimony in the House impeachment investigation?
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