Recent Articles

Bureaucrats are “the Program”
The citizens of Washington, D.C. are used to having their city constantly disparaged and civil servants from around the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) ably endure the endless…

Full Text of Remarks by Top State Dep’t Official Discharged by Trump’s White House
Last week, six top State Department officials were suddenly discharged by the White House—an Undersecretary, an acting Undersecretary, and four Assistant Secretaries—without…
Welcome Luke Hartig and Rachel Kleinfeld!–Just Security’s New Editorial Board Members
As we continue to provide outstanding insight into matters of national security, human rights, and civil liberties, Just Security is thrilled to announce the latest outstanding…

Norms Watch: Tracking the Erosion of Democratic Traditions (Jan. 27 to Feb. 3)
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…

Tinkering Won’t Save the Immigration and Refugee Executive Order–How to think about “Terrorist Safe Havens”
In a recent post I pointed out the serious flaws in the Trump administration’s claim that the seven countries identified in its Executive Order on immigration were selected on…

The Yemen Raid—What Was Normal and Abnormal About the Process with Lessons for the Future
Over the past five days, accounts of Sunday’s special operations raid in Yemen have continued to evolve to a point where questions are now being raised as to the process that…
The Early Edition: February 3, 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. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOREIGN…

Lufthansa To Abide By Anti-Ban Court Order–Travelers Targeted by Trump Can Now Fly (to Boston)
In what may well be a sign of things to come, Lufthansa has posted a notice to its website that, pursuant to the rulings of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts,…

Rare U.S. Military Acknowledgment of Civilian Casualties in Yemen—Concerns about transparency persist
In a rare acknowledgment, the U.S. military admitted last night that civilians, including children, “were likely killed” in the commando raid in Yemen on Sunday. This acknowledgment…

An Overlooked (and Alarming) Piece of Trump’s Immigration EO
The Executive Order that halts all refugees admissions and bans the nationals of seven predominantly Muslim nations is mean-spirited, dangerous, and unconstitutional for all the…

Ukraine v. Russia: Before the International Court of Justice
With all the news around President Donald Trump taking office, and the mass protests, controversial executive orders, and pending lawsuits that followed, it may have escaped notice…

To Detain Lawfully or Not to Detain: Reflections on UK Supreme Court Decision in Serdar Mohammed
The United Kingdom Supreme Court recently delivered a number of high profile and long-awaited decisions, Belhaj v Straw and Rahmatullah v Ministry of Defence, and the joined appeals…