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The Just Security Podcast: Carol Rosenberg on the Past and Future of Guantanamo’s Military Courts

Veteran journalist Carol Rosenberg discusses her reporting on the upcoming trials of the USS Cole bombing and 9/11 suspects at Guantanamo.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stands onstage at a podium bearing a globe logo and the words "The Americas Cartel Coalition" against a black backdrop with a cut-off section of the phrase "Counter Cartel Coalition" in white block letters above him.

When Military Leaders Fear Speaking Up, Everyone Is at Risk

Military leaders must be able to provide candid advice, raise legal concerns and challenge questionable orders without fearing retaliation.

Guantanamo Dispatches: Army Doctor Diagnosed USS Cole Bombing Defendant with PTSD and Depression, Found Him Fit for Trial

A U.S. military psychiatrist found the USS Cole bombing suspect to be suffering from PTSD but cogent enough to face trial at Guantanamo Bay.
A blue architectural blueprint-style graphic with white grid lines and hand-lettered labels arranged like room names on a floor plan, symbolizing the architecture of institutional reinvention.

Welcome to Just Security’s Reinvention Blueprints

Just Security's Reinvention Blueprints series features expert proposals to rebuild U.S. government institutions so they serve the public and meet today's challenges.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, wearing a blue suit and blue-striped tie, stands on a stage against an American Flag backdrop beside a podium bearing a crest with a bald eagle in the center labeled "Department of War - United States of America."

Guantanamo Dispatches: Pentagon Reducing Rank of Top Military Commission Lawyers

An order from Secretary Hegseth will lower the ranks of the top two Guantanamo military commission lawyers starting in January.

Guantanamo Dispatches: Ahead of Jury Selection, Defense Psychiatrist Calls USS Cole Defendant Unfit for Trial

A forensic psychiatrist testified this week that the USS Cole bombing suspect is unfit for trial as a result of his torture by the CIA.
Shot of a dimly lit committee room with three men in suits and ties and a woman wearing a blazer are seated at a long wooden table, each of them with microphones and front-facing white cards bearing their names in front of them.

Examining State-Level Legislation on Transnational Repression in the United States 

In recent years, U.S. state legislatures have increasingly taken steps to address transnational repression and foreign interference in the rights and lives of individuals.
A blurry outline of a pedestrian takes up the right-hand side of the frame in front of black gates with the United Nations logo. Behind the gate stands an abstract blue sculpture with a perfectly round hole towards the top. The United Nations headquarters building appears obscured by the fend in the background.

[R]evolution in the International Legal Order

ABILA International Law Weekend Co-Chairs reckon with the need to strengthen the foundations of international law while adapting it for a new set of actors and issues.
A voting booth covered with blue curtains stands at the left side of the frame, while on the right, a man stands slightly stooped while placing a paper ballot into a wooden ballot box. Behind the man stand a Romanian flag on his left and a European Union flag to the right.

Foreign Interference and the Democratic Self-Defense Trap: A European Perspective Going into the 2026 Midterms

How to safeguard elections against genuine foreign interference while preventing incumbent governments from exploiting allegations of interference to undermine voting rights?

Dissecting DOJ’s Letter to California Election Officials: Empty Threats of Criminal Liability

Legal expert breaks down the Justice Department's letter to California election officials over purported noncitizens voting and mail ballots.
USS Cole (DDG 67), a guided-missile destroyer, passes the USS Cole Memorial as the destroyer departed Naval Station Norfolk for a scheduled deployment to the 5th and 6th fleet areas of responsibility, Dec. 15, 2016. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Wolpert/Released)

Guantanamo Dispatches: Military Psychiatrist Finds Cole Bombing Case Defendant Competent; Federal Judge Refuses to Intervene

The latest from Carol Rosenberg. Court-ordered psychiatrist finds USS Cole defendant competent to be tried by Guantanamo military commission.

Servant of the Law: The President as Chief Prosecutor

An examination of the constitutional, legal, and ethical constraints on the president when he exercises his power as chief prosecutor.
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