Terrorism & Violent Extremism
Just Security provides expert legal and policy analysis of terrorism, counterterrorism, and domestic and international violent extremism.
2,265 Articles
State of play of the SSCI report on the CIA interrogation program: the relationship between declassification and disclosure
Last Thursday, Senator Diane Feinstein, the Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), issued a statement that the SSCI had voted that afternoon “to…
Hersh’s Syria Conspiracy Theory: The CIA and Intelligence Oversight Questions
In a previous post, I discussed the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the attack against U.S. facilities and personnel in Benghazi, Libya. That post contemplated bias by…
The al-Aulaqi Opinion and Fourth Amendment “Seizures”
Friday’s decision by Judge Collyer, in which she dismissed Bivens claims brought by the families of Anwar al-Aulaqi, his son Abdulrahman, and Samir Khan (arising out of their…
Military Courts and Article III
For some time, I’ve been working on the larger implications of the jurisprudence arising from the Guantánamo military commissions and the Court of Appeals for the Armed…
GTMO Case to Watch in the Supreme Court [UPDATED]
The Supreme Court has relisted for conference three times a pending Guantánamo habeas petition, Hussain v. Obama, No. 13-638. The Court will consider the case for the fourth…
UN Human Rights Committee’s Report on US Compliance with the ICCPR: National Security Highlights
The United Nations Human Rights Committee has issued its Concluding Observations (full text) assessing US compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights…
The Abu Ghaith Trial: How U.S. terrorism prosecutions are supposed to happen
Today’s conviction on all counts in the trial of Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law is the best response yet to critics like Senators Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham who claim…
Jury Reaches a Verdict in Abu Ghaith Trial
Breaking news this morning is that the jury has reached a verdict in the criminal trail of Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, convicting Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law and trusted advisor…
Conspiracy – A Quick Historical Survey
As the trial of Mr. Sulaiman Abu Gaith, the son-in-law of Osama bin Laden continues in New York in the United States District Court, we take this opportunity to provide a brief…
Crime, Sentencing and the War on Terror: Further Thoughts on the Al Darbi Plea
Last month, Ahmed Muhammed Haza al Darbi became the sixth Guantanamo detainee to plead guilty to war crimes before a military commission. The U.S. has accused al Darbi of various…
It’s a Serious Mistake for the US Government To Maintain It Need Not Follow Human Rights Law Beyond US Borders
[Editor’s Note: Just Security is holding a “mini forum” on the extraterritorial application of human rights treaties in light of the release of two State Department memos and…
Nils Melzer on Whether U.S. Citizen Abdullah al-Shami is a Lawful Military Target
The Obama Administration is reportedly evaluating whether a lethal operation against a US citizen in Pakistan is legally permissible. Last Friday an important story by Mark Mazzetti…