Secrecy

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The US Constitution with a gavel laid on it.

National Security Resilience and Reform: Trump 2.0 and Beyond

Beginning a national security reform process is not just necessary, but urgently demanded to break inertia and launch a new dynamic.
US Capitol building at sunset with moon

Congress Must Heed Koh’s Call to Surface Secret Law

Ensuring that any secret law-making in the executive branch gets disinfecting sunlight is uniquely important because of its potential to give legal cover for overbroad, unaccountable,…

The Value and Costs of Intelligence Diplomacy: CIA Director Burns in the Spotlight

A former CIA station chief considers his own experience with the practice in relation to Libya and the potential risks involved.
The U.S. Capitol building shines in the afternoon light.

Is Secret Law the Solution to an Overbroad Surveillance Authority?

Congress can legislate both responsibly and openly, as long as the administration declassifies certain information that is already in the public domain.
Shot of the Justice Department building at night

The Office of Legal Counsel Discloses List of Classified Opinions in Important Step for Transparency

The disclosure of the titles means that journalists, researchers, and others can now request the Office of Legal Counsel opinions themselves, opening important new avenues for…
Shot of the Justice Department building at night

Inching Toward a More Transparent Office of Legal Counsel

Analysis of DOJ Office of Legal Counsel's May 19, 2023 release of a new index of unclassified OLC opinions written between 1998 and 2019.

Ending Perpetual War

With the threat of terrorism receding, the Biden administration should seize the moment and illuminate a path back to peace.
A US Predator unmanned drone armed with a missile stands on the tarmac of Kandahar military airport on June 13, 2010.

Biden’s New Counterterrorism Policy Guidance Further Entrenches the Forever War

Biden's classified policy memorandum on counterterrorism drone strikes is just one more stepping stone in the long path of the forever war.
Graffiti showing a US drone is depicted on a wall to protest against US drone strikes on September 19, 2018 in Sana'a, Yemen.

Assessing Biden’s New Policy Framework for Counterterrorism Direct Action

Biden's new counterterrorism framework is consistent with policy efforts to dial back the war on terror.
US President Joe Biden addresses the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate from the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House, in Washington, DC on June 17, 2022. - Biden hosts the virtual summit of major economies.

The Biden Administration Should Begin its “War on Secrecy” by Releasing Key War Powers Reports

Providing a meaningful report to Congress - and the American public - on legal and policy frameworks governing the use of force and related national security operations is not…
A Yemeni man looks at graffiti protesting against US drone strikes on September 19, 2018 in Sana'a, Yemen.

What I Told Congress about U.S. Lethal Strikes

Congress should take steps to end America’s war-based approach to counterterrorism policy.

2022 Update: Good Governance Paper No. 18: Reforming Emergency Powers

At one-year mark of Biden administration, top experts revisit proposals to restore and promote nonpartisan principles of good government.
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