Barack Obama
40 Articles
Dispelling Myths: How Classification and Declassification Actually Work
Must the president follow any specific procedures when declassifying government information? The answer is a resounding no.
The Just Security Podcast: The Classification Process Declassified
To help us understand how the presidential classification and declassification process works in practice, we have Brian Greer and Wendy Leben.
Dear Senator Durbin, It’s Time to End the “Blue Slip” for Judicial Nominees
It's long past time for the Senate to abandon the anti-democratic "blue slip" process for judicial nominations.
The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board’s Disappointing Report on PPD-28 Implementation
Edward Snowden’s revelations that the NSA engaged in massive spying operations overseas prompted outrage and political blowback from our closest allies. In an attempt to manage…
Norms Watch: Democracy, the Trump Administration, and Reactions to It (June 30-July 7)
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…
What Military Actions Are Trump’s vs. Obama Holdovers?
President Donald Trump has been in office for 83 days, and almost everywhere you look, the US military is escalating its operations. US warships are steaming toward North Korea,…
Can Trump Unravel Obama’s Rules of War?
For eight years, the Obama administration has pursued a tough-minded war against al Qaeda and affiliated terrorist groups that has eliminated their leaders from Somalia to Afghanistan…
Frank and Candid Conversations About Human Rights in Cuba
Yesterday was an historic day for US-Cuba relations. President Obama and almost 40 members of Congress, including both Republicans and Democrats, traveled to Havana for an unprecedented…
Charlie Savage on Obama, GTMO and “Our Values”
Over on his blog, Charlie Savage has generously published a very thoughtful response to my post about his New York Times article, with Scott Shane, on the falsity of political…
Closing Guantánamo, Episode XXVIII: This Time, We Really, Really (Really!) Mean It…
Word has it that, later today, the Obama administration will release its long-ballyhooed Plan. To. Close. Guantánamo. (Not to be confused, mind you, with the original plan from…
Latest Guantánamo Transfers May Signal Change in Approach
Politicians and pundits are still fighting over whether President Obama should, can, or will close the Guantánamo Bay detention center before he leaves office. For his part,…
Just Security Editors’ Annotated State of the Union
President Obama’s eighth and final State of the Union address last night touched on a number of the national security and human rights issues that are often discussed on the…