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The Early Edition: May 21, 2019

Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here. Before the start of business, Just Security provides a curated summary of up-to-the-minute developments at home and abroad.…
U.S. acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan listens to President Donald Trump during a bilateral meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the Cabinet Room at the White House April 02, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Trump’s Preference for Acting Officials Puts National Security at Risk

This article is cross-posted on Lawfare. President Trump recently announced that his intended nominee for secretary of defense will be Patrick Shanahan, who became—way back…
U.S. President Donald Trump listens to Attorney General William Barr during the 38th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service at the west front of the Capitol May 15, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Bill Barr’s Extreme Views on War Powers Mean Congress’s Window to Stop War with Iran is Now

Attorney General Barr’s extreme past positions on unilateral presidential power could cut out any required role for Congress in authorizing or rejecting war. Here's what Congress…
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron hold a press conference for the launch the global "Christchurch Call" initiative to tackle the spread of extremism online at the Elysee Palace in Paris on May 15, 2019.

Why the Christchurch Call to Remove Online Terror Content Triggers Free Speech Concerns

In deciding whether to endorse the Christchurch Call, the question for U.S. policymakers was whether the text essentially called on the U.S. or others to act inconsistently with…
Military justice image

Sticking It To Yourself: Preemptive Pardons for Battlefield Crimes Undercut Military Justice and Military Effectiveness

Chris Jenks served as Special Counsel to the General Counsel of the Department of Defense (2017-2018) where he was awarded the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional…

The Early Edition: May 20, 2019

Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here. Before the start of business, Just Security provides a curated summary of up-to-the-minute developments at home and abroad.…
Collage of images from posts of the past week.

Recap of Recent Pieces on Just Security (May 13-18)

Russia probe, International Criminal Court, Golan Heights, U.S.-Iran conflict, South Sudan, Surveillance of human rights defenders, Countering Violent Extremism, Cyber Warfare,…

The Balance Has Shifted: The Data on Impeachment Favor Moving Ahead

"Blumenthal’s piece changes the balance to favor Congress acting now. His data decimate the major impediment to holding Trump accountable – the fear that this president would…
EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Senegal's President Macky Sall, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron attend a launching ceremony for the 'Christchurch call', an initiative pushed by Ardern after a white supremacist gunned down 51 people in a massacre at two mosques in the New Zealand city in March, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on May 15, 2019.

Christchurch Calls and Washington Isn’t Answering

One of the more predictable diplomatic rituals since 9/11 has been that when terrorists strike a close American ally, Washington stands in solidarity with that country, offering…
Cyber-warfare specialists serving with the 175th Cyberspace Operations Group of the Maryland Air National Guard engage in weekend training at Warfield Air National Guard Base, Middle River, Md., Jun. 3, 2017. They sit at semicircle of computers.

When To Use the ‘Nuclear Option?’ Why Knocking Russia Offline Is a Bad Idea

The news about the November 2018 Cyber Command operation that knocked the notorious Russian troll farm, the Internet Research Agency, offline before the U.S. midterm elections…
Chairman Jerry Nadler speaks as US Attorney General Bill Barr fails to attend a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on May 2, 2019.

McGahn’s Chief of Staff, Annie Donaldson May Be Congress’ Prized Witness

Don McGahn's chief of staff had a front seat at the Trump White House during the Russia investigation, and has reasons to comply with Congress' subpoena.
International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and deputy prosecutor James Stewart speak with another prosecutor during the initial appearance of Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona of the Central African Republic, at the ICC in The Hague on January 25, 2019, following his extradition from France on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

ICC Prosecutor Signals Important Strategy Shift in New Policy Document

"The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, has released for comment a draft of her Strategic Plan for the final years of her mandate, 2019-2021.…
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