Recent Articles

The Saudi Playbook: Self-Investigations of Civilian Deaths in Yemen and Khashoggi
We’ve been here before. Saudi Arabia has a sordid track record of announcing formal mechanisms to look into deaths of civilians at the hands of its own officers which have then…

Options for Congress to Respond to Saudi Transgressions: Here’s What Works according to Former Senior U.S. Officials
Former senior officials weigh in on options for Congress to respond to Khashoggi crisis, Yemen War, and US-Saudi policy more generally.

What Would National Security Oversight Look Like in a Democratic House?
If Democrats assume control of the House of Representatives after the midterms, there's likely to be a torrent of oversight activity. Andy Wright, a former staff director and counsel…

The Early Edition: October 22, 2018
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.…

Recap of Recent Pieces on Just Security (Oct 13-19)
Immigration, Refugees, and Family Separation Beth Van Schaack, Family Separations: Evolved Not Resolved Catherine Powell and Maiya Moncino, State Are Challenging New Policy That…

The U.N. Security Council’s Outsized Role in Shaping Counter Terrorism Regulation and Its Impact on Human Rights
This week, as U.N. Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, I submitted my annual report to the…

New Method, Same Strategy: Russia Has Long Exploited U.S. Racial Divisions
While the use of social media is new, Russia has a long history of highlighting the conflict between American ideals of equality and the reality of racial injustice in this country.…

U.S. Libel Case Over Russian Poisoning Takes Aim at Kremlin Propaganda
A lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Manhattan alleges defamation by two Kremlin-controlled television stations widely available in the United States concerning the infamous poisoning…

The Early Edition: October 19, 2018
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.…

The Torture of Forcibly Separating Children from their Parents
A detailed analysis of why the family separation policy amounts to government-sanctioned torture.

What Is the Flores Agreement, and What Happens If the Trump Administration Withdraws from It?
If the Trump administration succeeds in ending a decades-old court decision governing the treatment of migrant children, it will be able to detain migrant children indefinitely…

Dispelling Some Myths About Consular Immunity and the Khashoggi Investigation
Turkey and Saudi Arabia are both parties to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR). Because the alleged acts took place at a consulate rather than the Saudi embassy,…