Recent Articles
Addendum to My “Memo to the Human Rights Community” (on drone strikes outside of “hot battlefields”)
On Wednesday, I published an essay at Just Security titled, “Why the Laws of War Apply to Drone Strikes Outside “Areas of Active Hostilities” (A Memo to the Human Rights…
Norms Watch: Democracy, the Trump Administration, and Reactions to It (September 29-October 6)
Editor’s Note: Welcome to the latest installment of Norms Watch, our series tracking both the flouting of democratic norms by the Trump administration and the erosion of…
Three Quick Observations on the U.S. Citizen ISIL Detainee
1. Like Bobby Chesney, I fully expected that “John Doe”–the U.S. citizen who the military currently is detaining in Iraq–would be “en route to the…
A Response to Goodman’s “Memo to the Human Rights Community”
Ryan Goodman’s “Memo to the Human Rights Community” is a perplexing critique that takes a surprising tone, coming from a former U.S. government official who worked on these…
The Newly Relaxed Rules of Engagement in Afghanistan and Civilian Casualties
Military Times reported Monday that Secretary of Defense Mattis, appearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joe Dunford told a pair…
The Early Edition: October 6, 2017
Before the start of business, Just Security provides a curated summary of up-to-the-minute developments at home and abroad. Here’s today’s news. IRAN President Trump is…
Parties’ Letter Briefs on Mootness in Entry Ban Case at Supreme Court
Here’s the SG’s brief. Here’s the ACLU’s brief on behalf of the IRAP plaintiffs. And here’s the Hogan Lovells brief on behalf of the Hawaii plaintiffs.…
Trump’s Attacks on the Russian Investigation: Not Just Talking, But Slow Walking—and Maybe Worse
Briefing reporters on the status of the Russia investigation, Senators Burr and Warner warned that the Russian government is not yet done meddling in U.S. elections. Their investigation…
Jesner v. Arab Bank: Closing the Door to Human Rights in Federal Court?
Ed. note. This post is the latest in our series on the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case Jesner. v. Arab Bank, a case with implications for everything from human rights to terrorism…
It’s Time to Pass Legislation Governing a Key Part of the Government’s Hacking Policy
An example of the splash screen from the Petya malware that was suspected of relying on an exploit developed by the U.S. National Security Agency. It’s well known that government…
The Early Edition: October 5, 2017
Before the start of business, Just Security provides a curated summary of up-to-the-minute developments at home and abroad. Here’s today’s news. The TRUMP ADMINISTRATION…
Why the Laws of War Apply to Drone Strikes Outside “Areas of Active Hostilities” (A Memo to the Human Rights Community)
Reports that the White House is poised to revise a four-year old set of policy restrictions on drone strikes and other lethal operations has generated a heated debate that turns…