Terrorism & Violent Extremism
Just Security provides expert legal and policy analysis of terrorism, counterterrorism, and domestic and international violent extremism.
2,223 Articles

Al-Liby: “Rendition to Justice” under Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
The U.S. government is reportedly holding Abu Anas al-Liby (Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai) on a Navy ship following a military-led apprehension in Tripoli on October 5. The capture…

Al-Liby: Male Captus, Bene Detentus?
Further to Marty’s post today on the question of Libya’s consent vel non to the recent al-Liby operation, we should also call attention to a long-withheld OLC opinion (13 U.S.…

Benghazi Oversight and the Death of Expeditionary Diplomacy
The assassination of Ambassador Chris Stevens in Benghazi, Libya on 9/11/2012 was a stark and sad example of the risks taken by diplomats who push out into the field in unstable…

U.S. Military Operations Against al-Shabaab/al-Qaeda—and Who Exactly is Ikrima?
What domestic legal authority did President Obama invoke to send a team of Navy SEALs into Somalia this weekend to capture or kill a member of al-Shabaab, the terrorist organization…

The Capture of Abu Anas al-Liby and the Attack on an al-Shabaab Leader [UPDATED as of Monday morning]
A couple of notes to follow up on Steve’s post [with UPDATES through Monday morning]: Abu Anas al-Liby is alleged to have been a leader in the al Qaeda conspiracy to bomb…

The Baraawe Raid: A Test for the Obama Administration’s View of al Shabab? [UPDATED]
[Update: 10:10 p.m. (EDT): It now appears that earlier reports were premature–and that the Baraawe raid may have resulted in the death of the senior Shabab leader earlier…

New NSA Reform Proposal from Sen. Leahy and Rep. Sensenbrenner
While the continued government shutdown has sidelined an estimated 800,000 federal employees and resulted in the cancellation of President Obama’s trip to Asia this weekend,…

Food for Thought on the Effectiveness of Drone Strikes
For those following the drone debates, this new study published last week by the US Army War College Strategic Studies Institute is definitely worth a read. Though I haven’t…

The Shutdown and the Guantánamo Transfer Restrictions
Although folks disagree over how big an obstacle it really is, one of the bigger political (if not legal) obstacles to transferring detainees out of Guantánamo (to other countries)…

Debate (Round 2): A Reply to Rona and Corn
This post is the final post in a series from Gabor Rona, Geoffrey Corn, and Just Security’s Derek Jinks. The debate addresses a fundamental question for US national security…

Debate (Round 2): A Reply to Rona and Jinks
This post is one in a series from Gabor Rona, Geoffrey Corn, and Just Security’s Derek Jinks. The debate addresses a fundamental question for US national security law: What…

Debate (Round 2): A Reply to Corn and Jinks
This post is one in a series from Gabor Rona, Geoffrey Corn, and Just Security’s Derek Jinks. The debate addresses a fundamental question for US national security law: What…