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Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander, U.S. Forces-Iraq receives the command colors from U.S. Marine Gen. Gen. James N. Mattis, commander, U.S. Central Command at the USF-I change of command ceremony in Baghdad, Iraq on Sept. 1, 2010. Other military members stand around them.

Shifting Norms About Secretary of Defense Has Long-Term Consequences: On the Austin Nomination

Even if retired Gen. Lloyd Austin handles the job of defense secretary perfectly, his nomination alone still has long-term consequences, eroding the norm of civilian control by…
A child struggles to pick cocoa beans hanging above in the Daloa province of Cote D’Ivoire.

Nestlé & Cargill v. Doe Series: Meet the “John Does” – the Children Enslaved in Nestlé & Cargill’s Supply Chain

[Editor’s Note: This article is part of a Just Security series on the consolidated cases of Nestlé USA, Inc. v. Doe I and Cargill Inc. v. Doe I, which was argued before…
People carry bags of cocoa at a cocoa exporter's in Abidjan, on July 3, 2019.

Nestlé & Cargill v. Doe Series: Shielding American Corporations from Liability Undermines the United States’ Moral Authority

Corporate defendants argue that courts should let Congress decide if and when to impose liability for human rights abuses abroad. But Congress has already spoken: through the Trafficking…
Members of the Proud Boys kick an anti-fascist protestor on the ground during a protest on December 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. Additional white supremacists stand around watching.

Risk of Election-Related Violence Remains, Here’s What Could Reduce It

Six weeks after the election, the United States still faces an elevated risk of political violence despite the Electoral College certifying the result and the courts upholding…
A jacket is draped over an empty chair at a desk with a gavel and lamp. A flag stands in a corner.

The System Is Not Working: The Lopsided Election Result, Not The Courts, Saved Our Democracy

The president’s post-election litigation has crashed and burned, but it has reinforced the pernicious idea, born from Bush v. Gore, that it is appropriate for courts to step…
A SolarWinds sign and logo sits on top of the SolarWinds office building in Brno in the Czech Republic.

Top Expert Backgrounder: Russia’s SolarWinds Operation and International Law

A legal analysis of whether the SolarWinds cyber hack violated international law, and the U.S. government's response options.
A collage of images from articles of the past week.

Recap of Recent Articles on Just Security (Dec 12-18)

Analysis of the week's news and developments.
Security Council members hold a videoconference in connection with the Middle East (Syria).

National Security This Week at the United Nations (Dec 11 – Dec 18)

Equitable Distribution of Vaccines an “Acid Test”  On Dec. 16, the President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Munir Akram said the equitable distribution…
Attorney General William Barr (C) speaks during a press conference on the shooting at the Pensacola naval base January 13, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Criminalizing Foreign Relations: How the Biden Administration Can Prevent a Global Arrest Game

The U.S. President is undoubtedly the chief U.S. diplomat, but is he or she also the chief prosecutor? Donald Trump clearly thinks so, stating once his grave misunderstanding that…
Sticker messages placed on a fence by Thai student demonstrators are seen during a Milk Tea Alliance pro-democracy protest outside the Chinese embassy in Bangkok on October 1, 2020. Some of the sticky-notes read, “Mulan Live is Not Mulan,” “Save Tzuyu!” “Respect Basic Human Rights,” and more.

As China Promotes Authoritarian Model, the Resilience of Its Democratic Targets is Key

Pro-democracy political leaders, activists, and media can build on their successes against such influence with help from the world’s leading democracies.

Early Edition: December 18, 2020

Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here. A curated guide to major national security news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news. RUSSIAN…
Trump and Putin’s silhouettes as they walk side-by-side.

“Strategic Silence” and State-Sponsored Hacking: The US Gov’t and SolarWinds

The absence to date of executive branch attribution and condemnation of the SolarWinds intrusions may be strategic silence—a tactic employed in the immediate aftermath of past…
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