Terrorism & Violent Extremism
Just Security provides expert legal and policy analysis of terrorism, counterterrorism, and domestic and international violent extremism.
2,228 Articles
The Coming Congressional “Authorization” to Use Force Against ISIL?
Many commentators and news outlets are focused on whether the White House will seek, or Congress will pass, authorization for the President to use military force against ISIL.…
Whose Hype are You Going to Believe?: How Not to Evaluate the ISIL Threat to the U.S.
On Friday, Peter Bergen and David Sterman wrote an article for CNN Opinion entitled, “ISIS Threat to U.S. Mostly Hype.” (Bergen is also CNN’s national security analyst.)…
The Guns of September
[Editors’ Note: The following post is the first installment of a new feature, “Monday Reflections,” in which a different Just Security editor will take a longer…
Guest Post: DoD Directive 2310.01E
As Steve Vladeck noted yesterday, the Department of Defense is out with a new version of its Directive 2310.01E on detainee operations. Steve asks the big question: why now?…
Al-Shabaab Leader Killed in US Strike
The White House has announced the death of Ahmed Godane, the leader of Al-Shabaab, in a press statement. Ryan had previously analyzed the legal basis for targeting Godane in this…
The Very Strange New DoD Detainee Directive
On August 19, the Department of Defense apparently issued a new version of “Directive 2310.01E,” which, if you haven’t been scoring at home, is one of the central…
Guardian Previews Discussions of ISIS at Thursday’s NATO Summit
Ewen MacAskill and Spencer Ackerman of The Guardian have an excellent preview of the NATO summit, beginning tomorrow in Wales. Of note, the authors provide details on the discussions…
Targeting Al-Shabaab’s Godane is not the same as targeting Al-Shabaab
On Monday, the US military conducted an airstrike in Somalia, in which the primary target was reportedly Ahmed Abdi Godane, the leader of the militant group Al-Shabaab. Based…
ISIL = Genocide?
As we have discussed, the United States has launched further military action in Iraq. These operations follow limited airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant…
Harold Koh on the International and Domestic Legal Options for Containing ISIL
Just Security’s Harold Koh has a must-read piece in Politico, analyzing the legal and policy choices for the President to confront ISIL. Harold stakes out several important…
International Law on Airstrikes against ISIS in Syria
The administration is actively considering the option of using military force against ISIS in Syria. As the New York Times editorial board states today: “The United States, however,…
Hope for Yemeni Detainees?
Over at Politico, Josh Gerstein reports that the Obama administration has broken its self-imposed suspension of transfers to Yemen and sent two long-term detainees from U.S. military…