Terrorism & Violent Extremism
Counterterrorism
809 Articles
“Gag order” on Military Commission defendants substantially lifted
Very important and welcome news from Guantánamo Bay: The defendants in military commissions cases and their counsel are now free to discuss their interrogations and conditions…
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…
Authorization vs. Regulation of Detention: What Serdar Mohammed v. MoD Got Right and Wrong
The UK Court of Appeal will soon hear the appeal in Serdar Mohammed v. Ministry of Defense, a highly important case in which the UK High Court held that the long-term detention…
UK Court of Appeal to assess legality of detentions in Afghanistan
Next week, the United Kingdom Court of Appeal will begin to hear arguments in the government’s appeal against the High Court ruling in Serdar Mohammed v Ministry of Defense.…
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,…
Members Only: Al Qaeda’s Charter List Revealed After 13 Years in US Hands
A fascinating bit of evidence about al Qaeda’s early days emerged yesterday during the trial of alleged al Qaeda operative Khaled al-Fawwaz – what federal prosecutors call…
2 Years and 55 Prisoners To Go: It’s Time for a Lot More Guantanamo Review Boards
In 2001, Tariq Mahmoud Ahmed al Sawah, a veteran of the war in Bosnia who’d joined up with al Qaeda in Afghanistan, landed in U.S. custody. Injured by a cluster bomb in the Afghan…
How to Interpret the UN Human Rights Committee’s Comment on National Security Detentions: State Party Submissions
Last October, the United Nations Human Rights Committee adopted General Comment No. 35 (GC) which has important implications for international law regulating detentions, including…
Al-Marri’s End and the Failed Experiment of Domestic Military Detention
In the coming days, Ali al-Marri, former enemy combatant, is scheduled to be released from federal criminal custody, clearing the way for his removal by immigration officials to…
No Impunity for Torturers [Updated]
[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on December 15, 2014. Check out a substantial Update published on January 5, 2015 and appended below.] In a post called…
The Three Legal Questions Left Unresolved by al-Libi’s Death
Just 10 days before his trial on terrorism charges was set to begin in Manhattan federal court, accused al Qaeda operative Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruquai, from Libya, better known…
Top 10 National Security Cases to Watch in 2015
In the spirit of the annual taking stock that accompanies the change of year, I thought I would offer my take on the top ten national security cases and themes to watch in the…