Terrorism & Violent Extremism
Just Security provides expert legal and policy analysis of terrorism, counterterrorism, and domestic and international violent extremism.
2,223 Articles
Here’s the New U.S.-Afghanistan Bilateral Security Agreement
After much confusion over which was the final security agreement (news organizations citing it had linked to a November 2013 “predecisional” version) I’ve just…
Constitutional “Cross-Ruffing”: My New Article
About a year ago, I wrote about the Second Circuit’s decision in the Ghailani case, in which, among other things, the Court of Appeals rejected a former Guantánamo detainee’s…
Assessing the Claim that ISIL is a Successor to Al Qaeda—Part 1 (Organizational Structure)
The administration’s position that ISIL is a successor of al-Qaeda deserves serious consideration. We do so in this post, and show some serious flaws in this position. What hangs…
Security Agreement With Afghanistan Raises Key Questions About How and When War Ends
Today, the United States and Afghanistan signed a long-awaited bilateral security agreement. The U.S. government promised to withdraw combat troops by December, and to leave nearly…
War: What is it good for? 20 ISIL Questions for Congress
We still don’t know if Congress will even vote on providing new and specific authorization for a military campaign in Iraq and Syria. Thankfully, responsible members of Congress…
British Parliament Authorizes Airstrikes in Iraq; Debate Predictably Weighs in on Action in Syria
On Friday, the British House of Commons overwhelmingly voted (524-43) to approve the U.K.’s participation in airstrikes against ISIL targets in Iraq. The success of the vote…
The Foreign Fighter Resolution: Implementing a Holistic Strategy to Defeat ISIL
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2178, adopted on September 24 after a debate involving dozens of world leaders, including United States President Barack Obama, is legally…
Obama’s ISIL Legal Rollout: Bungled, Clearly. But Illegal? Really?
Editors’ Note: The following post is the fourth installment of a new feature, “Monday Reflections,” in which a different Just Security editor will take a…
French Prime Minister’s Statement on Action Against ISIL
On Wednesday, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls addressed the Assemblée Nationale regarding France’s actions against ISIL (“Daech” in French). Valls called ISIL a “double…
Having Crossed the Rubicon: Arming and Training Syrian Rebels
Significant public discussion has focused on whether airstrikes against ISIL in Syria violate the international legal prohibition on the use of force. Remarkably what has largely…
A Briefing on European Developments in Accounting for and Advancing Counterterrorism Actions
Fallout from European action during the “War on Terror” is ongoing in national and regional courts. The European Court of Human Rights has taken up a number of cases…
Full Text: House of Commons Motion on ISIS for Debate Tomorrow and Accompanying Summary of the Legal Position
The following motion, for the House of Commons debate tomorrow, was agreed at today’s Cabinet meeting. That this House: Condemns the barbaric acts of ISIL against the peoples…